Wonju is the most populous city in Gangwon Province, South Korea, with a population of 364,860 as of 2023. The city is located approximately 140 km east of Seoul.

History

During the time of Great Joseon, Wonju was the capital of the historic Gangwon Province, one of the Eight Provinces of Korea.

Korean War

Wonju was the site of the first ever massacres conducted by the Republic of Korea Army against suspected communists that occurred on 30 June 1950. On 2 July of the same year, the Korean People's Army attacked Wonju before capturing it on 7 July. Throughout the Korean War, Wonju was the site of three crucial battles.

Geography

Wonju sits at the southwestern corner of Gangwon Province, bordering Gyeonggi Province to the west and North Chungcheong Province to the south. Within Gangwon, Wonju borders Yeongwol County to the east and Hoengseong County to the north. Unlike much of Gangwon Province, Wonju is not a mountainous area, but rather a basin along the wide plain created by the Seom River.

Administrative divisions

Wonju is divided into 1 eup (town), 8 myeon (townships), and 16 dong (neighborhoods).

Transportation

Education

There is one international school: Wonju Chinese Primary School. According to data released by Wonju City Hall in 2015, the number of kindergartens located in Wonju was 71. There are 48 elementary and 22 middle schools, respectively. In the case of high schools, there are 15 general high schools, 2 special purpose high schools, and 3 specialized high schools, a total of 20.

Culture

A Rail Park has been built on the disused rail tracks connecting the stations of Pandae and Ganhyeon, for a total of 6.5 km. The total ride journey is about 40 minutes, offering scenic views of the surrounding mountains while cycling.

Museums

Libraries

Climate

The climate of Wonju is a hot-Summer, monsoon-influenced Humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa).

Sports

Wonju is home city of the Wonju DB Promy, playing in the Korean Basketball League. Their home arena is Wonju Gymnasium, which is located in Myeongnyun il-dong, Wonju. The team has won the Championship three times (2002–03, 2004–05, and 2007–08).

Sister cities

Notable people from Wonju