Gimpo City is a garden city located at north-western Gyonggi Province. It is adjacent to the Yellow Sea(China), Incheon City and North Korea which will be a global economic center of Korean Peninsula and a strategic place when the two Koreas unify. Gimpo City is a state-of-the-art & environmental-friendly industrial town with combined harmony of rural and urban features. The city holds more than 1,500 small-medium enterprises with developmental potentials.
The symbolic bird of Gimpo City is a Korean Magpie. There is an old saying in Korean that a good visitor comes with Magpiertwittering. It is regarded a lucky bird to bring good news. We hope your visit to Gimpo City will bring good news.

★ Korea In Brief

·Land
The Korean Peninsula extends southward from the northeast part of the Asian continent. Korea is roughly 1,000km(600miles) long and 216km(135 miles) wide, which is similar in size to that of the U.K, New Zealand, or Romania. About 70% of the land is mountainous, with the main concentrations to the north and east. Since 1945, as a result of the Cold War tension, the peninsula has been divided at the 38th parallel degrees North Latitude into the Republic of Korea, or South Korea, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, more commonly known as North Korea.

·People
Koreans, like many other Asian peoples, are descendants of the Mongolian Tungus stock. They differ from the neighboring Japanese and Chinese, however, in that Koreans are a homogeneous ethnic group with their own language, culture, and customs. Korean people are characterized by their generosity, warmth, and kindness, and are renowned as some of the hardest working people in the world.
Population : South Korea - 47.3 million (2000) (North Korea - 22.2 million) (2000)

·Climate
Korea has four distinct seasons. In late March or early April, the trees burst into leafy splendor to mark the beginning of spring. Occasional showers can be expected from March to May. During the relatively hot and rainy summer season, the vegetation is green and lush. The average temperature in June is over 20 C (68 F). The monsoon rains usually begin at the end of June, however the heaviest rainfall occurs in July. The coming of autumn in late September brings continental winds and clear, dry weather, making the fall months the most pleasant time of year. The vivid golds and vibrant reds of the changing leaves create a colorful panorama. December to February are cold and dry with occasional rain or snow. During the winter months, the cold is normally punctuated by a few warmer days.

·Language
The Korean language, like Hungarian, Mongolian, and Finnish, is classified as an Ural-Altaic language. Han-gul, the Korean alphabet is composed of 10 simple vowels and 14 consonants. A group of scholars under the patronage of King Sejong invented Han-gul in 1443. Because of the substantial differences between English and Korean, native English speakers may find that learning Korean is gradual and somewhat difficult. There are some vowel and consonant sounds that English does not have.

·Education
Korea's educational system is noted for its high quality and standards. Illiteracy is practically non-existent. Korean students pursue their academic goals enthusiastically, and diligently shoulder heavy workloads. Children begin their school at the age of 7. After three years of middle school and three years of high school, students may advance to a college or a university for two or four years of higher education. The university entrance examinations are extremely rigorous, as indicated by the term "admissions war," which aptly describes the fierce competition for university admission.

·History
The habitation of early man in Korea appears to have started about half a million years ago. The first kingdom, named Ko-Chosun, was formed in 2333 B.C. By the first century B.C., Korea's three ancient Kingdoms of Koguryo, Paekche, and Shilla ruled the whole Korean Peninsula and much of Manchuria and were by far the most powerful and eminent kingdoms in the area. The period of their rule, 57 B.C. - 668 A.D., is known as the Three Kingdoms Period.
Koguryo and Pekche were ultimately vanquished by Shilla in 668 A.D.. In 676 A.D., Shilla unified the peninsula for the first time. The Unified Shilla Period, 676-935 A.D., was a golden age for Korean culture. The advancements in the area of Buddhist art are especially noteworthy.
In the succeeding Koryo Dynasty, 918-1392 A.D., an aristocratic government was instituted. Buddhism was established as the state religion and came to have great influence in the political and administrative spheres. The name "Korea" is actually a derivative of "Koryo."
The Chosun Dynasty, 1392-1910 A.D., was the peninsula's final dynasty. During this period, a number of political and economic reforms were enacted. The most prominent of these was the adoption of Confucianism as the state ideology. The surge of creative literary endeavors and the invention of Han-gul, the Korean alphabet, in 1443, impart this period with special cultural significance. Hanyang, now known as Seoul, was established as the dynasty's capital city in 1394. Palaces and gates were constructed during this period can still be seen in the city today.
The Japanese invasion of the peninsula in 1910 ended the Chosun Dynasty. Korea remained under Japanese colonial rule for 35 years until the end of World War II. On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allies and withdrew from the Korean Peninsula. Since then, it has been divided into two: Democratic South Korea and Communist North Korea. The Republic of Korea in the south established an independent government three years later.
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea. An armistice agreement was signed 3 years later, in 1953.
South Korea's tireless post-war reconstruction efforts were highly successful in the promotion of national prosperity and stability.

·Korea Today
Modern-day Korea is a nation that has rebuilt itself from the devastation of war and has achieved an economic miracle in just 40 years, serving today as a model for many developing countries. This achievement is even more significant considering the extra burden added by the division of the Korean Peninsula into two countries. The successful staging of the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul added further momentum to Korea's push for acceptance as a developed country. The Korea of today is a fascinating place whose 5,000 year-old culture and history blend harmoniously with its modern cities. The government is continuously investing in transportation and accommodation infrastructure projects in order to attract more and more foreign tourists each year. Recent major efforts to encourage tourism have included the 1993 Taejon Expo and the 1994 Visit Korea Year which was held to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Seoul becoming the capital of Korea and 2002 World Cup. Korea is, indeed, "A Different Asia," a unique culture unlike that of China or Japan, and a country whose country whose people are extending a warm welcome to foreign visitors.