South Chungcheong

South Chungcheong, do (province), west-central South Korea. Facing the Yellow Sea to the west, it is bounded on the north by Gyeonggi province, on the east by North Chungcheong province, and on the south by North Jeolla province. Daejeon—administratively designated a metropolitan city with province-level status—borders the province to the east. Honseong is South Chungcheong’s capital, and Cheonan is the province’s largest city.

With one-third of its land area under cultivation, South Chungcheong is one of the best granaries in the country, producing rice, ginseng, tobacco, and peppermint. Its 2,000-mile (3,200-km) coastline includes more than 250 islands attached to the province, and its seashore area supports the culture of marine products such as shellfish and ear shell (abalone). The province has 86 square miles (223 square km) of exposed beach, which has been used to manufacture salt by solar evaporation. Cattle grazing to produce beef and milk is carried on in the low, hilly terrain. Although coal is the province’s most important mineral product, gold and silver also are mined, and the discovery of monazite (a thorium-bearing rare-earth mineral) and zircon fields has attracted attention.

South Chungcheong is famous for its fine traditional ramie cloth (Hansan mosi), an elegant fabric for summer clothing produced most notably in the Hansan area. Mount Gyeryong, 2,772 feet (845 meters) high, is in a national park that features unique rock and stone formations as well as a number of old temples. Various native religious groups assemble there. Taean Marine National Park (1978) includes some of the best bathing beaches in the country. Area 3,320 square miles (8,600 square km). Pop. (2020) 2,176,636.