Gijang County

Gijang County is a gun, or county, located between Haeundae-gu and Ulsan in northern Busan, South Korea.

History

Gijang first appears under its current name in the annals of the year 757, during the Unified Silla period. At that time it was made the hyeon of Gijang, part of Dongnae-gun. The Samguk Sagi records that it was known as Gaphwayanggok (甲火良谷) previously.

Historical landmarks in the county include the Buddhist temple of Jangansa, said to have been first built by Wonhyo in the 7th century.

Geography and demographics

Gijang is the most rural of Busan's districts, and consists mostly of vacant and agricultural land. Approximately 156.7 of its 217.9 square kilometers are empty and forested, mostly hilly land. The county's population has risen steadily since 1990, when it stood at 56,847. There is a fishing village set along the coastline.

Economy

Due to its location along the coast of the East Sea of Korea, Gijang is known as a center for the production of various kinds of seafood. These include anchovies and brown seaweed (miyeok).