| Native name | 양구군 |
|---|---|
| Translit lang 1 | Korean |
| Korean | 양구군 |
| Hanja | 楊口郡 |
| Revised Romanization | Yanggu-gun |
| McCune-Reischauer | Yanggu-gun |
| Country | South Korea |
| State | Gangwon Province, South Korea |
| Area total | 700.8 km² |
| Population as of | September 2024[1] |
| Population total | 24027 |
| Population density | 34 km² |
| Administrative divisions | 1 eup, 4 myeon |
Yanggu County (Yanggu-gun) is a county in the state of Gangwon, South Korea.
The northern part of Yanggu County was part of the front line for much of the Korean War, and now borders the Demilitarized Zone. Several Korean War battle sites are located in Yanggu County, including Bloody Ridge, Heartbreak Ridge, and Hill 1179 (Daeusan). Yanggu is located in what is claimed to be the geographic center of the Korean peninsula. Dochon-ri village in Nam-myeon[2] in Yanggu is called the "navel of Korea".[3]
History
Yanggu County was the location of the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge and the month-long Battle of Heartbreak Ridge during the Korean War.[4] Due to its proximity to the Demilitarized Zone following the Korean ceasefire, the area was closed to civilians for several years which led to nature reclaiming the area around the battlefield. The battlefield was later opened to become a memorial and nature trail which goes around all of the memorials erected to soldiers that had died during those battles within the Yanggu County area.[4][5]
Economy
Since 2005, Yanggu County has become a main area for apple orchards. This increase was attributed to climate change causing orchards in lower South Korean provinces to become more susceptible to soil degradation, more active fruit moths and scale insects, and anthracnose infecting apple trees. It led to a number of farmers migrating north towards Yanggu due to the climate being more suitable for growing apples.[6]
Twin towns – sister cities
- Chizu, Japan
- Jianli, China
- Saint-Mandé, France
References
- ^ "Population statistics". Korea Ministry of the Interior and Safety. 2024.
- ^ "The Natural Side of the DMZ in Yanggu, Gangwon-do". Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "Travel to the nude in nature, "DMZ's story 4 – Yanggu" 한반도의 배꼽, 양구". CultureM Magazine. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "Nation-wide trip reminds youth about the meaning of peace : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea". Korea.net. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "Gangwon opens five new DMZ trails to visitors". Joongang Daily. 18 April 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "Korea's apple farmers head north as climate crisis heats up". Joongang Daily. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "International Exchange". Yanggu County. Retrieved 2020-07-07.