Hoengseong 횡성군 |
|
---|---|
County | |
Korean transcription(s) | |
• Hangul | |
• Hanja | |
• Revised Romanization | Hoengseong-gun |
• McCune-Reischauer | Hoengsŏng-gun |
Location in South Korea |
|
Country | South Korea |
Region | Gwandong |
Administrative divisions | 1 eup, 8 myeon |
Area | |
• Total | 997.82 km2 (385.26 sq mi) |
Population (2001) | |
• Total | 47,362 |
• Density | 47/km2 (120/sq mi) |
• Dialect | Gangwon |
Hoengseong County is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea.
The roots of Codonopsis lanceolata (Korean: deodeok), a bonnet bellflower species, play an important role in local agriculture.
Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, a notable boarding school, is located in the county.
The climate reflects the location of the mountainous inland area of southwest. There is a wide seasonal difference in temperature. The highest temperature ever recorded in Hoengseong-gun was 37.0°C on August 7, 1990 and the lowest was -29.8°C on December 31, 1927, and it was one of the five coldest temperatures ever recorded in Korea.
Decline of population is the biggest matter among the county's residents and officers. In one year, newly admitted elementary school students decreased by 100.
The staggering decline has forced the educational system to close small schools of less than ten per school. Hoengseong county officially declared to support education fees to young students.
Han-u, or Korean beef, from Hoengseong is widely sold and famous in South Korea. The clean environment of the region makes it possible to rear high-quality Korean beef. The muscles of the cattle are built up through labour in the fields. Beef sets are delivered to department stores in Seoul and other metropolitan cities. Nowadays, improvements to transportation infrastructure have helped reduce the cost. The county began a strategic marketing campaign in 1995 to brand itself as the origin of the highest quality beef in Korea.
The Hoengseong area features large forested areas thanks to its location. More than four forest resorts are still in operation.
Whole forests do not consist of only natural forests. Man-made forests are blended into existing natural forests. All kinds of wildlife, including roe deer, wild pigs, and rabbits, inhabit the forest.
Schemes for building wind farms started in 2005 and allowed investors to complete the construction of a first complex in January 2008.
Hoengseong did install wind power plants after 2009. Construction was planned and executed by Japanese developer Eurus Energy and POSCO, installing about 20 plants around windy area. Total plant locations were divided between the counties of Hoengseong (9) and Pyeongchang (11), respectively.