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Eight Provinces of Korea
During the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was divided into eight provinces (Paldo (팔도; 八道)). The boundaries reflected geographic and cultural divisions and corresponded closely to the boundaries between dialects. Because of the natural fit between the provincial boundaries and the "real world," most of the provincial boundaries and names survive in one form or another down to today. Most of the traditional provinces also had alternative regional "nicknames" which are still used today (especially Honam, Yeongdong, and Yeongnam). Below is a table listing the eight provinces, their dialects, regional names, and the modern administrative divisions that replaced them. (Note that provinces and cities now in North Korea are romanized using the McCune-Reischauer system, while South Korean provinces and cities use the Revised Romanization of Korean.)
| Province | Hangeul | Hanja | Regional Name | Dialect | Modern divisions |
| Chungcheong | 충청도 | 忠靑道 | Hoseo | Chungcheong | Daejeon, North & South Chungcheong |
Gangwon
Kangwŏn) | 강원도 | 江原道 | Gwandong,
Yeongseo, Yeongdong
(See below) | Seoul | Kangwŏn (North Korea), Gangweon (South Korea), Kŏmgang-san |
| Gyeonggi | 경기도 | 京畿道 | Sudogweon
(See below) | Seoul | Seoul, Incheon, Kaesŏng, Gyeonggi |
| Gyeongsang | 경상도 | 慶尙道 | Yeongnam | Gyeongsang | Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, North & South Gyeongsang |
| Hamgyeong | 함경도 | 咸鏡道 | Gwanbuk (North half), Gwannam (South half) | Hamgyeong | Rasŏn (Rajin-Sŏnbong), North & South Hamgyŏng, Yanggang |
| Hwanghae | 황해도 | 黃海道 | (none) | Seoul | North & South Hwanghae |
| Jeolla | 전라도 | 全羅道 | Honam | Jeolla, Jeju | Gwangju, North & South Jeolla, Jeju |
| P'yŏngan | 평안도 | 平安道 | Gwanseo | P'yŏngan | P'yŏngyang, Namp'o, Shinŭiju, North & South P'yŏngan, Jagang |
Note 1
"Gwandong" was applied to the entire province, while "Yeongseo" and "Yeongdong" were names for the western and eastern parts of the province respectively. "Yeongdong" is the only one of the three names used today, and applies to Gangweon Province as a whole.
Note 2
"Sudogweon" is most likely a 20th-century name. The first two Hanja of the province's name (京畿) literally mean "capital region."
Referenced By
Chungcheong | Gyeongsang | Jeolla | Korean province | Korean provinces | List of Korea-related topics | Province of Korea | Provinces of Korea
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