Daebu Island is an island in the Yellow Sea, within the municipal borders of the city of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

Geography

The island has a population of roughly 7,114 people and an area of 41.98 km². Administratively, the island today is divided into five dong: Daebubuk-dong, Daebunam-dong , Daebudong-dong , Seongam-dong and Pungdo-dong. The predominant industries are tourism and fishing. The island is connected (via Seongam-do and Tan-do) to the mainland in the south-east by road bridges, to Hyeong-do (and thence the mainland) in the north-east by several routes due to land reclamation efforts, and to Seonjae-do (and thence Yeongheung Island and others) to the west by a further road bridge.

Environment

Due to rising mudflats, the island has merged with neighbouring Seongam-do and Tan-do. It is a Ramsar site and has also been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because its intertidal mudflats support significant populations of breeding Chinese egrets, as well as of dunlins and common greenshanks on passage.

History

During the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties, Daebu Island was included in the old jurisdiction of Namyang. On March 1, 1914, it was transferred to Bucheon, and on July 1, 1973 responsibility was transferred to Ongjin County (which later became part of Incheon). On December 26, 1994 the island was moved into the jurisdiction of Ansan, where it remains today.

Education

Daebu Island has three kindergartens, three elementary schools, one middle school and a high school. The island (specifically Seongam-do) is also home to the Gyeonggi English Village's Ansan Camp, an immersion village for students from Gyeonggi Province.