UIJONGBU

city, Kyonggi do (province), north western South Korea. Uijongbu lies 12 miles (20 km) north of Seoul. Its name, meaning the Cabinet in old Korean, derives from its being the temporary site of the Cabinet office during the Choson (Yi) dynasty (13921910). The city was formerly the market centre for agricultural products grown in the surrounding area. It developed rapidly after the Korean War (195053) as a service centre for nearby military installations, and it became a municipality in 1963. It is now an industrial satellite of Seoul. Most of the city's industries, including cotton textiles and paper, were established after 1960. Puk'an Mountain National Park (1983) lies southwest of the city. Pop. (1990) 212,352.