Location / Natural Environment

The city with an area of 608.15㎢ has its landmass split from north to south by the Yeongsan-gang as one of Korea’s four major rivers. Naju borders on Hwasun-gun to east, Hampyeong-gun and Muan-gun to west, Yeongam-gun to south, and Gwangju Metropolitan City to north.The Naju Plain benefits from the waterway as the Yeongsan-gang basin is stretched over it. The local mountains undulate between southeast and northwest.Since half of them run onto the hilly plains, the plains in Nampyeong, Geumcheon, and Dasi that are connected from north to south boast bountiful yields from the fertile land, and the interconnected level hills symbolize the granary in the Jeolla provinces.

Geumseongsan (451m) that stands as the guardian mountain of our city towers at its center and commands a sweeping view of not only the city but also the granary of the Naju Plain.

Located 26.7㎞ southwest of Gwangju, Naju not only makes it to the suburbs of the Gwangju industrial zone, but also serves as the transportation hub as the gateway to the ten cities and counties such as Hampyeong, Muan, Mokpo, Yeongam, Gangjin, and Haenam. In ancient times, the town was called Sogyeong (‘little Seoul’), because Geumseongsan had the shape of Samgaksan in Seoul.

The town begot a number of patriots who contributed greatly to overcoming the nation’s biggest hardships.As the birthplace of Kim Cheon-il, the leader of the patriotic militia during the Imjin War whose posthumous epithet was Changuisamunyeolgong and Sin Suk-ju, the eminent scholar from the Joseon dynasty, but also the epicenter of Gwangju Students’ Independence Movement, the city has demonstrated that it is the cradle of talented people.

Administrative Divisions

(as of Mar. 17, 2020)

Population

(as of October., 2024)