North Jeolla Province

North Jeolla Province or Jeollabuk-do (전라북도; 全羅北道; Jeollabuk-do) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Jeonju, which was the capital of all of Jeolla before 1896.

History

During the Proto-Three Kingdoms period, Jeolla region was the center of the Mahan confederacy among Samhan. There were 15 tribal countries out of 54 located in the region. During the period of the Three States, this region came to belong to Baekje when it absorbed Mahan. Baekje was destroyed by the Silla and Chinese Tang dynasty allied force in 660 (20th year of King Uija) and ruled by Tang. It became a part of Silla when Tang was expelled in 676 (16th year of King Munmu).

When there were 9 states and 5 small capitals in Unified Silla in 685, there were Wansan-ju (present Jeonju) and Namwon-gyeong (present Namwon) in Jeollabuk-do in existence.

Jeolla Province

Jeolla Province (Hangul: 전라도; RR: Jeollado, [tɕʌlːado]) was a province in southwestern Korea, one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla Province, South Jeolla Province and the Special City of Gwangju as well as Jejudo. The provincial capital was Jeonju, the current capital of Northern Jeolla. The entire inland region was formerly called Honam ("South of the Lake").

History

Samhan and Samguk

During the Samhan era of Korean history, the area of Jeolla was controlled by the Mahan confederacy. Fifteen of the 45 Korean tribes had their bases in this region. When Baekje overtook Mahan by the 5th century, the Three Kingdoms era began and the region became part of southern Baekje. Jungbang was the center of the province during this period.

Unified Silla

When Silla conquered Baekje with the help of Tang China in 660, it became a territory of Later Silla during the 16th year of the reign of Munmu of Silla. Silla reorganized this territory into 9 "ju" (주) and 5 "gyeong" (경), 3 of the ju belonging to the former Baekje. The northern territory of former Baekje, Ung (Ungju; hanja: 熊州 ), corresponds to modern-day South Chungcheong Province.