Name: Chungcheongbuk-do

Country: South Korea

Area: 7,446 square kilometers

Population: 1.6 million (2020) 

Chungcheongbuk-do, a province in central Korea, encompasses three cities and nine counties, with Cheongju as the provincial seat. The name of the province derives from the two major cities of Cheongju and Chungju. The terrain of Chungcheongbuk-do descends from the Sobaek Mountains in the east to the plains along the rivers of Kumgang and Mihocheon in the west. It has a typical continental climate with four distinct seasons. The province is a popular tourist destination for its charming landscape of mountains, rivers and hot springs.

Chungcheongbuk-do is rich in gold, zinc, anthracite and other natural resources. Its economy is based on agriculture which produces grain, horticultural crops, ginseng, medicinal herbs, yellow tobacco, Jincheon rice, grapes and so on. The mountainous area is mainly reserved for grazing.

The province's main industries include fertilizer, cement, textile, machinery, nonferrous metal, food processing, etc. There are 3,634 enterprises in the province, mainly concentrated in the industrial areas of Cheongju, Chungju, and Jincheon.

Chungcheongbuk-do has a long history and profound culture. It is known for its well-preserved tradition of loyalty and virtue. There are 16 public libraries, 3 museums, 383 cultural relics and historic sites, 36 public sports venues and 9 cultural and art organizations of traditional music, dance, music and fine arts.

Lee Si-Jong, the incumbent Governor, was re-elected as Governor of the province for the third time in July 2018.

Zhejiang and Chungcheongbuk-do established friendly exchange relations in 2012.