Namwon

Sister cities

• Verona

History

Namwon was founded in 680 during the reign of King Sinmun of Silla Kingdom. Namwon county was founded on April 1, 1895. The city suffered during the Siege of Namwon in 1597 during the Imjin War. During the siege that lasted from August 13 to 16 the only defenders against the Japanese army of 56,000 men were 3300 Korean and Chinese soldiers and 6000 women and children. In the end the Japanese found a way to enter the city and killed all the soldiers and civilians.

Geography

Namwon is located in a basin bordered by the Sobaek Mountains to the east and the Buheung Mountain Ridges to the west with the Yocheon River flowing through the city. Namwon is bordered by the counties of Imsil and Sunchang to the west, Jangsu to the north, Hamyang and Hadong in South Gyeongsang Province to the east, and Gurye and Gokseong in South Jeolla Province to the south. Namwon has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa), but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa) using the isotherm. The average yearly temperature of Namwon is with the average temperature in January being and in August. Due to its location in a mountainous basin with a high rate of precipitation, the climate of Namwon varies greatly. Winds in Namwon are usually weak and blow north to west in the winter and south to west in the summer. However, temperatures can sometimes (briefly) drop below in January with wind chills making it feel as though it were below . These winds are part of a cold front that comes down from Siberia for a very brief time. Temperatures in July and August can often reach , with the humidity making it feel as though it were . The humidity over the Korean peninsula from June through September comes from south east Asia. Temperatures in spring (late April and through May) and fall (after September 25 and through October) are often in the mid 20s °C (73–80 °F) and with low humidity.