Osan

Osan
오산시
Municipal City
Korean transcription(s)
 • Hangul 오산시
 • Hanja 烏山市
 • Revised Romanization Osan-si
 • McCune-Reischauer Osan-si

Emblem of Osan

Location in South Korea
Country  South Korea
Region Sudogwon
Administrative divisions 6 dong
Area
 • Total 42.76 km2 (16.51 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 193,892
 • Density 2,824.2/km2 (7,315/sq mi)
 • Dialect Seoul

Osan is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, approximately 35 km south of Seoul. The population of the city is around 200,000. The local economy is supported by a mix of agricultural and industrial enterprises.

It is famous for one of the largest markets in South Korea, Osan Market, which has been in continuous operation since 1792. The city was the scene of brutal battles with communist forces during the Korean War in 1950 (see Battle of Osan), before being liberated by American forces soon afterwards; there is a statue dedicated to UN forces on the outskirts of the city.

The United States Air Force base named after the city, Osan AB, is not actually located in the city, but is instead 8 km (5 mi) south, in the Songtan section (formerly a separate city) of Pyeongtaek.

Osan Station is a large subway station located in the heart of Osan. It is part of the Seoul Subway Line 1 and the KTX. There is a bus terminal next to the subway station and many buses stop in front of the subway station.

Name

Osan came to be called by its current name in 1914, at the time of a general reorganization of local governments under Japanese rule. At that time it became Osan-myeon, part of Suwon. This name in turn was taken from that of a local stream, the Osancheon. However, prior to the Japanese occupation, the name had been rendered in hanja as 鰲山, meaning "soft-shelled turtle mountain." Because of the complexity of the 鰲 ("o") character, and because crows were abundant in the area, the Japanese changed the name to 烏山, meaning "crow mountain."

Statistics

Population: 193,892
Daily Deaths: 1.1
Daily Marriage: 3.7
Daily Divorce: 0.9
Fires a Day: 0.3
Students per Teacher: 29
Number of Cars: 71,572

Sister cities

Economy

Kyochon, a fried chicken chain, has its head office in Osan.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Contact." Kyochon. Retrieved on November 3, 2009.

Coordinates: 37°08′59″N 127°04′38″E / 37.149799°N 127.077116°E / 37.149799; 127.077116

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