Даэгу: Город в Юго-Восточной Корее

Metropolitan City in Yeongnam, South Korea
the city

Daegu (, hangul=대구), formerly spelled Taegu and officially Daegu Metropolitan City (hangul=대구광역시), is a city in southeastern South Korea. Daegu is the third largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is the fourth largest metropolitan city in the nation with over 2.3 million residents; and the second largest city after Busan in the Yeongnam region in southeastern South Korea. Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province are often referred to as Daegu Gyeongbuk, with a total population of over 5 million. Daegu is located in south eastern Korea about from the coast, near the Geumho River and its mainstream, Nakdong River in Gyeongsang do. The Daegu basin is the central plain of the Yeongnam region. In ancient times, the Daegu area was part of the proto kingdom Jinhan. Subsequently, Daegu came under the control of the Silla Kingdom, which unified the Korean Peninsula. During the Joseon dynasty period, the city was the capital of Gyeongsang do, one of the traditional eight provinces of the country. Daegu was an economic motor of Korea during the 1960s–1980s period and was especially known for its electronics industry. The humid subtropical climate of Daegu is ideal for producing high quality apples, thus the nickname, "Apple City". Daegu is also known as "Textile City". Textiles used to be the pillar industry of the city. With the establishment of the Daegu Gyeongbuk Free Economic Zone, Daegu currently focuses on fostering fashion and high tech industries. Daegu was the host city of the 22nd World Energy Congress, the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and the 2003 Summer Universiade. It also hosted four matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Archaeological investigations in the Greater Daegu area have revealed a large number of settlements and burials of the prehistoric Mumun pottery period (around 1500–300 BC). In fact, some of the earliest evidence of Mumun settlement in Gyeongsangdo have been excavated from Siji dong and Seobyeon dong. Dongcheon dong is one of the substantial Mumun agricultural villages that have been excavated. The Dongcheon dong site dates back to the Middle Mumun (around 850–550 BC) and contains the remains of many prehistoric pit houses and agricultural fields. Megalithic burials (dolmens) have also been found in large numbers in Daegu. Ancient historical texts indicate that during the Proto–Three Kingdoms (Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan) period, Daegu was the site of a chiefdom or walled town polity known from that time, according to historical records, as Dalgubeol. It was absorbed into the kingdom of Silla no later than the fifth century. The vestiges of the wall can be seen, and relics have been excavated in the current Dalseong Park.

Silla succeeded in unifying the Korean peninsula by defeating the other kingdoms of Baekje and Goguryeo in the late seventh century, partly due to assistance from China's Tang dynasty. Shortly thereafter, in 689, Silla's King Sinmun considered moving the capital from Gyeongju to Daegu, but was unable to do so. This initiative is known only through a single line in the Samguk Sagi, a most valued historical record of ancient Korea by Koryeo dynasty historian Kim Bu sik, but it is presumed to indicate both an attempt by the Silla king to reinforce royal authority and the entrenched resistance of the Gyeongju political elites that was the likely cause of the move's failure. The city was given its current name in 757. In the late 1990s, archaeologists excavated a large scale fortified Silla site in Dongcheon dong, Buk gu. The site at Locality 2 consists of the remains of 39 raised floor buildings enclosed by a formidable ditch and palisade system. The excavators hypothesize that the fortified site was a permanent military encampment or barracks. Archaeologists also uncovered a large Silla village dating to the sixth to seventh centuries AD at Siji dong. However, this edition was destroyed when the temple was sacked in 1254, during the Mongol invasions of Korea.

Daegu served as an important transportation center during the Joseon dynasty, being located in the middle of the Great Yeongnam Road which ran between Seoul and Busan, at the junction of this arterial road and the roads to Gyeongju and Jinju. In 1601, Daegu became the administrative capital of the Gyeongsang do, which is current Daegu, Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongsangbuk do, and Gyeongsangnam do. At about that time, the city began to grow into a major city. The status continued for nearly 300 years, and the city has been transformed as the capital of Gyeongsangbuk do since Gyeongsang do was divided into two provinces, Gyeongsangbuk do (northern Gyeongsang province) and Gyeongsangnam do (southern one) in 1896. Daegu's first regular markets were established during the late Joseon period. The most famous of these is the Yangnyeongsi herbal medicine market. This became a center of herbal trade in Joseon, and even attracted buyers from neighboring countries. Traders from Japan, who were not permitted to leave the Nakdong River valley, hired messengers to visit the market on their behalf. Seomun Market, which stood at the city's west gate at that time, was one of the top three markets in the Joseon period.

Japanese imperialism forcibly opened up Korea's markets beginning in the late 19th century. In 1895, Daegu became the site of one of the country's first modern post offices, as a part of the 'Gab o' reforms introduced in the aftermath of the First Sino Japanese war. Beginning in the late 1890s, increasing numbers of foreign merchants and workers started to visit Daegu, which emerged as a modern transportation center of the newly constructed Gyeongbu Line main railroad connecting Seoul and Busan. In 1905, the old fortress wall was destroyed. As a tribute to the wall, streets that now run where the wall once stood have been named Bukseongno, Namseongno, Dongseongno and Seoseongno, which translates as "north fortress street", "south fortress street", "east fortress street" and "west fortress street" respectively. Independence movements against imperial aggression flourished in Daegu, beginning as early as 1898, when a branch of the Independence Club was established in the town. As the demise of the Korean Empire approached in 1907, local citizens led by Seo Sang don organized the National Debt Repayment Movement. The movement spread nationwide, collecting many individual donations toward repaying the national debt. Rebellions continued after the 1910 annexation to Japan, notably during the March 1st movement of 1919. At that time, four major demonstrations took place in Daegu, involving an estimated 23,000 citizens.

In 1946, the Daegu October Incident took place, one of the most serious social disorders since the foundation of the Republic of Korea. On October 1, Korean national police killed three student demonstrators and injured many others. It was also the site of major demonstrations on February 28, 1960, prior to the presidential election of that year. Daegu and all of North Gyeongsang province had heavy guerrilla activities in the late 1940s, as thousands of refugees shied away from the fighting in Jeolla province and sought shelters in Daegu. In November 1948, a unit in Daegu joined the mutiny which had begun in Yeosu the previous month. As in many other areas during the Korean War, political killings of dissenters were widespread. During the Korean War, heavy fighting occurred nearby along the Nakdong River. Daegu sat inside the Pusan Perimeter, however, so it remained in South Korean hands throughout the war. The fighting that prevented North Korean troops from crossing the Nakdong River has become known as the Battle of Taegu. In the second half of the 20th century, the city underwent explosive growth, and the population has increased more than tenfold since the end of the Korean War. The city was politically favored during the 18 year long rule of Park Chung Hee, when it and the surrounding area served as his political base. Daegu champions conservative political ideas and movements today and is a political base for the Saenuri Party. In the 1980s, Daegu separated from Gyeongsangbuk do and became a separately administered provincial level directly governed city (Jikhalsi), and was redesignated as a metropolitan city (Gwangyeoksi) in 1995. Today, Daegu is the third largest metropolitan area in Korea with respect to both population and commerce. Since 1990, Daegu has suffered two of South Korea's worst mass casualty disasters: the 1995 Daegu gas explosions, which killed 101 people, and the 2003 Daegu subway fire, which killed 192 people. In February 2020, Daegu was the epicenter of the COVID 19 pandemic in South Korea. In July 2023, the Gunwi County of North Gyeongsang Province was integrated into Daegu.

Two local governments are in the city, the Daegu Metropolitan Government in Jung District and Gyeongbuk Provincial Government in Buk District. The provincial government will be relocated to Andong in its proper province, Gyeongbuk. As a result, the provincial government office was relocated to Andong in January 2023. The mayor and heads of city's eight districts are directly elected by the citizens every four years. The city council has 29 members which consist of 26 from the same number of electoral districts and three proportional representations. They are also directly elected every four years. Most of them are the members of the People Power Party, the main conservative political party in South Korea. Daegu is a stronghold for the party and has produced four Presidents of the Republic of Korea thus far: Park Chung Hee, Chun Doo hwan, Roh Tae woo and Park Geun hye. Park Chung Hee and Chun Doo hwan were born in other cities but they moved to Daegu and spent childhood in Daegu. As the capital of the Korean conservatives, the city has wielded strong political influence in elections.

Daegu sits in a basin surrounded by low mountains: Palgongsan to the north, Biseulsan to the south, Waryongsan to the west, and a series of smaller hills in the east. The Geumho River flows along the northern and eastern edges of the city, emptying in the Nakdong River west of the city.

Beginning in the late 1990s, Daegu has been actively making efforts to promote its fashion industry based on its textile and clothing manufacturing industries under the 'Daegu: Fashion City'. The city opens many exhibitions related to the fashion and textile industries including the Daegu Fashion Fair and Preview in Daegu annually or semi annually, and invites national institutes. A large new town specializing in the textile fashion industries is currently under construction in Bongmu dong, northeastern Daegu. The district, officially named Esiapolis, takes aim at the fashion hub of East Asia. Textile complexes, textile fashion institutions, an international school, fashion malls as well as residential areas plan to be developed in the district.

Generally, Daegu is known as a conservative city. As well as being the largest inland city in the country beside Seoul it has become one of the major metropolitan areas in the nation. Traditionally, Buddhism has been strong; today there are still many temples. Confucianism is also popular in Daegu, with a large academy based in the city. Neon cross topped spires of Christian churches can also be seen in the city.