[edit]
Ancient history to the Later Three Kingdoms Era[edit]
It is unclear exactly when humans first inhabited the Daejeon area. However, the Paleolithic site of Seokjang-ri in nearby Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, and the Yongho-dong site in Daedeok District, Daejeon, suggest that people lived here from around that time. From the Bronze Age, artifacts such as bronze items, dwelling sites, and pottery have been excavated, providing concrete evidence of sustained human habitation.
During the Proto–Three Kingdoms Period, the area was part of Mahan, one of the Three Han states. It is believed to have been home to Sinheunguk (臣釁國), one of the small states that made up Mahan. However, some theories place Sinheunguk in Seosan or Yesan County in South Chungcheong Province, so its exact location is uncertain. Proponents of the Daejeon theory speculate that "Sinheung" is related to Jinhyeon-hyeon, which will be discussed later and eventually connects to the place name Jinjam-dong. Meanwhile, the area around the now Yuseong District is thought to have been the site of Naebiri-guk (內卑離國) of Mahan. This is because the Three Kingdoms-era place name for Yuseong District, Nosaji, is also recorded as Naesaji (內斯只), and both names share the element "Nae" (內).
In the Three Kingdoms Period, the area became part of Baekje's territory and was known as Usul-gun (雨述郡), centered around Eumnae-dong in Daedeok District and including Hoedeok-dong. Also on Usul-gun, in the city exists the remains of Bakjae's mountain fortress Usul-fortress (우술성), which was declared a city-designated monument in 1989. This name is a transcription of the native Korean place name "Bisul" or "Bisuri," where they took the meaning "rain" from the character 雨 and the sound "sul" from 述. At Gyejoksan Mountain in Jang-dong, Daedeok District, there is a legend that "when the mountain cries during severe drought, rain comes," leading to the place name "beak-dal-san" or "beakdal" mountain, and "Bisuri," (비수리) meaning "rainy peak." This legend is also recorded in early Joseon-era texts like the Geographical Appendix to the Annals of King Sejong and the Sinjŭng Tongguk yŏji sŭngnam (신증동국여지승람; 新增東國輿地勝覽), the version of Tongguk yŏji sŭngnam, updated in 1530.
Under Usul-gun, there were Nosaji-hyeon (奴斯只縣) in the area of Guseong-dong, Yuseong District; Sobipo-hyeon (所比浦縣) in Deokjin-dong; and Jinhyeon-hyeon (眞峴縣) in Bonggok-dong, Seo-gu. Among these, Jinhyeon-hyeon was the only one not under Usul-gun but belonged to Hwangdeungyasangun (黃等也山郡), centered around Yeonsan-myeon in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. Based on the Five Divisions established during King Seong(성왕;year 504 ~557 july)'s reign(523 may~ 554 july), the area around Gongju was the Northern Division, and the area around Nonsan was the center of the Eastern Division, so it likely belonged to one of these two. Considering that the Daejeon area later generally moved in conjunction with Gongju, the dominant theory is that it belonged to the Northern parts of regional classification.
During this period, the area was one of the main frontlines among Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, resulting in many mountain fortress ruins in Daejeon, leading to an oral tradition that the name of Sikjang Mountain originated from the Baekje army storing provisions on the mountain. There are also numerous fortifications that are closer to small forts than large mountain fortresses. Notably, after Baekje's King Gaero had Wiryeseong captured by Goguryeo's King Jangsu, Baekje faced a critical crisis due to continued southward advances by Goguryeo. The Goguryeo army reached as far as the Daejeon area, creating an unprecedented situation where Baekje's Ungjin Fortress was pressured from both the northeast (Sejong) and southeast (Daejeon). Relics left by the Goguryeo army from this time can be found in Wolpyeong-dong in Seo District, Daejeon, as well as in Bugaang-myeon, Saerom-dong, and Naseong-dong in Sejong.
It was not until the reign of King Dongseong that Baekje, allied with Silla, succeeded in driving out the Goguryeo forces from the Daejeon area. Baekje recovered the entirety of Sejong, most of Cheongju, and most of Daejeon. However, they had to tolerate Silla's occupation of the entire Goesan area—which was originally part of Hanseong Baekje's territory—as well as the northern half of now Daedeok District and the southwestern part of Cheongju. Goesan was recovered from Silla during the reign of King Uija of Baekje, but the Sintanjin area and the southwestern part of Cheongju were never regained until Baekje fell. Therefore, the northern region of Daedeok District has deep historical connections not only with Baekje but also with Silla.
During the wars for the unification of the Three Kingdoms in 660, there is a record that the Silla army stationed at Nosurisan (怒受利山) during the Battle of Hwangsanbeol, which broke out on July 9. Given the phonetic similarity to Nosaji-hyeon located in Yuseong District, it is considered to be the same place. As the Daejeon area was a border region adjacent to Hwangdeungyasangun (Nonsan), a fierce battleground, it would have been suitable for the Silla army to set up camp.
After the fall of Baekje, the area became the backdrop for the Baekje Revival Movement. The Ongsanseong (甕山城), where the revival forces blocked the Silla army's path and fought around August 661, is presumed to be Gyejoksanseong Fortress on Gyejoksan Mountain in Jang-dong, Daedeok District. After a three-day siege, Ongsanseong fell on September 27. Subsequently, Usul-gun was attacked by Kim Pumil, the governor of Sangju, and over 1,000 people were executed. According to records, Jo Bok (助服), the last military commander of Usul-gun and a second-rank Dalsol, surrendered to Silla along with a third-rank Eunsol named Paga (波伽) and their followers. Later, in August 662, remnants of the revival forces gathered and fortified themselves at Naesajiseong (內斯只城), presumed to be the fortress located in the aforementioned Nosaji-hyeon (奴斯只縣) which corresponds to the now Yuseong District area, and resisted, prompting the dispatch of 19 generals, including Kim Heumsun, to defeat them.
In the Unified Silla period, based on Silla's nine provinces and five secondary capitals policy, the area belonged to Ungcheonju (熊川州). Later, due to King Gyeongdeok's Sinicization policy in 757, Usul-gun was renamed Bipung-gun (比豊郡), Nosaji-hyeon became Yuseong-hyeon (儒城縣), Sobipo-hyeon became Jeokjo-hyeon (赤鳥縣), and Jinhyeon-hyeon was renamed Jinryeong-hyeon (鎭嶺縣). Jinryeong-hyeon still belonged separately to Hwangsan-gun (黃山郡), the renamed Hwangdeungyasangun. Ungcheonju was also renamed Ungju (熊州).
During the Later Three Kingdoms period in the early 900s, the area came under the territory of Later Baekje. Compared to the original Baekje, Later Baekje's domain extended much further east beyond Daejeon, deeply into Gyeongsang-do, and had also reclaimed the northern part of Daedeok District, which had previously been occupied by Silla. Therefore, the area of Daejeon belonged to Later Baekje until its collapse in 936.
Goryeo Dynasty[edit]
Entering the Goryeo period, Bipung-gun (比豊郡) was renamed Hoedeok-hyeon (懷德縣), Jeokjo-hyeon (赤鳥縣) became Deokjin-hyeon (德津縣), and Jinryeong-hyeon (鎭嶺縣) was changed to Jinjam-hyeon (鎭岑縣), while Yuseong-hyeon remained unchanged. According to the ten provinces established during King Seongjong's reign, the Daejeon area belonged to Hanam-do. All four prefectures were subordinate to Gongju-mok (公州牧), which had been elevated to one of the twelve administrative districts known as "mok."
Later, during King Hyeonjong's reign, the implementation of the Five Provinces and Two Frontier Regions system placed the four prefectures under Yanggwang-do. Gongju-mok was downgraded back to simply Gongju, but the four prefectures remained its subordinate counties.
Subsequently, during King Myeongjong's reign, Hoedeok-hyeon and Jinjam-hyeon were promoted to "ju-hyeon" (main counties), and officials known as "Gamwu" (監務) were dispatched, initiating independent administration. This autonomy continued into the Joseon Dynasty, where they remained separate districts. However, Yuseong-hyeon and Deokjin-hyeon did not gain independence and continued as subordinate counties of Gongju.
Meanwhile, there were special administrative districts called "hyang," "bugok," and "so." Among these, the most famous was Myeonghakso (鳴鶴所), known as the site of the Mang Yi and Mang Soi Rebellion. This area is believed to have been located in what is now Tanbang-dong in Seo-gu.[unreliable source?]
Joseon Dynasty[edit]
During the Joseon period, Hoedeok-hyeon and Jinjam-hyeon were each elevated to Hoedeok-gun and Jinjam-gun, respectively. The area that is now the central part of Daejeon remained a small rural village within Gongju, which had been re-elevated to Gongju-mok during the reign of King Chung-hye of Goryeo. Notable figures like Song Si-yeol of the Eunjin Song clan lived in this vicinity, and the place name Songchon-dong, related to them, still exists as one of Daejeon's districts. Additionally, the Hoedeok Hwang clan established their base in the Hoedeok-hyeon area. Meanwhile, the name "Daejeon" (大田), which is the Hanja transcription of the native term "Hanbat" (한밭) for Great Fields, first appeared in records in the early Joseon period, in Tongguk yŏji sŭngnam, and continues to be used today.
Until 1906, the current central area of Daejeon was part of Gongju, not Hoedeok or Jinjam, before it was incorporated into Hoedeok-gun. Of course, that elongated territory of Gongju wasn't Gongju land in the narrow sense; rather, as the concept of subordinate prefectures (sokhyeon) like Yuseong-hyeon and Deokjin-hyeon disappeared and were absorbed into Gongju itself, the territory expanded accordingly.
However, the now Yuseong area remained part of Gongju until it was transferred during the establishment of Daejeon-gun in 1914. With Yuseong joining Daejeon-gun, the region roughly restored the combined territory of the central area and its subordinate prefectures from the times of Usul-gun and Bipung-gun.
What transformed the history of Daejeon was the finalization of the Gyeongbu Line railway route in 1900. After Daejeon Station was established in Daejeon-ri, Sannae-myeon, Gongju County, in 1904, population influx began and urbanization took off. In 1906, when Sannae-myeon was incorporated into Hoedeok County, the Hoedeok County Office also moved from its original location in Hoedeok town to the urban area of Daejeon.
Japanese Occupation[edit]
In 1914, during the major reorganization of administrative districts by the Japanese Governor-General of Korea, the existing Hoedeok County and Jinjam County, along with Yuseong-myeon (Yuseong Township) of Gongju County, were merged to form Daejeon County (大田郡). Had the name Hoedeok County been retained, the city might be called "Hoedeok Metropolitan City" today. Instead, the name "Daejeon," which was simply the name of the village where the train station was located, was adopted as the new county name, replacing the traditional name Hoedeok.
Modern day[edit]
In 1963, Daejeon expanded its territory by incorporating the entire Yucheon-myeon of Daedeok-gun, and parts of Sannae and Hoedeok-myeon. From this point, Sannae-myeon of Daedeok-gun became an actual exclave.
In 1973, Buk-myeon and Yuseong-myeon of Daedeok-gun were each elevated to Sintanjin-eup and Yuseong-eup, respectively. In 1977, the ward system (gu-je) was implemented in Daejeon, establishing two wards: Jung-gu and Dong-gu. In 1983, Daejeon further expanded by incorporating the entire areas of Yuseong-eup and Hoedeok-myeon of Daedeok-gun, and parts of Tan-dong, Gujeok, Jinjam, and Giseong-myeon. At this time, Daedeok-gun was split into two separate parts. This situation continued until 1989, when Daedeok-gun was abolished and Daejeon was elevated to a Directly Governed City. Just before this elevation in 1988, Seo-gu was separated from Jung-gu. In 1989, Daedeok-gun was abolished and merged into Daejeon, and the integrated Daejeon of Chungcheongnam-do was elevated to Daejeon Directly Governed City. Simultaneously, Yuseong District was separated from Seo-gu, and Daedeok District from Dong-gu, completing the current system of five districts.
Kumdori;꿈돌이, or the little alien, mascot of the local 1993 expo.
In 1993, the city hosted the 1993 Daejeon Expo, which increased its national profile. The yellow alien mascot "Kumdori" appeared in various products such as plush toys and animations, becoming one of Daejeon's mascots. After the Expo ended, the facilities and site were utilized to open the Expo Science Park, but some exhibition halls are now almost closed. Although it had the smallest population among the five Directly Governed Cities, it surpassed Gwangju Metropolitan City in population in 1995. In the same year, it was renamed to the current Daejeon Metropolitan City.
In the late 1980s, Daejeon was elevated to the status of Special City (Jikhalsi), thus became a separate administrative region from South Chungcheong Province. In 1995, all South Korean Special Cities were again renamed as Metropolitan Cities, which is reflected in the current official name of Daejeon, Daejeon Metropolitan City (대전광역시).
In the 1980s, the Korean administration began moving various national government operations from Seoul to Daejeon, eventually opening the Daejeon Government Complex in 1997. Today, the national government offices in Daejeon include Korea Customs Service, Small and Medium Business Administration, Public Procurement Service, National Statistical Office, Military Manpower Administration, Korea Forest Service, Cultural Heritage Administration, Korean Intellectual Property Office, Korail, Korea Water Resources Corporation, Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation and Patent Court of Korea.
The population of Daejeon increased dramatically as a result of the government center. With the construction of Sejong Special Self-Governing City in 2013 for the division of capital functions and balanced local development, many of the public institutions that had previously headed to Daejeon were moved to Sejong, and many public institutions in Seoul were also moved to Sejong. With the launch of Sejong City, large-scale development began, resulting in infrastructure construction and large-scale apartment complexes. Sejong is located immediately north of Daejeon, and Daejeon citizens began to outflow to Sejong. As of July 2020, there was net outflow of more than 100,000 people from Daejeon to Sejong.
