Hwaseong City Installs Marker Stone at Former Dongtan Township Office, Origin of Dongtan New Town with 400,000 Residents

Starting Point of the Local Community
Administrative Center Until 1990

A commemorative marker stone reflecting on the origins of the local community in Dongtan New Town, Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province-a representative new town in southern metropolitan Seoul with a population of 400,000-has been erected on the site of the former Dongtan Township Office.

At the unveiling ceremony of the 'marker stone' installed on the site of the old Dongtan Township Office on the 4th, attendees prayed for the development of Dongtan New Town. Provided by Hwaseong City

Hwaseong City installed the marker stone at 996-4, Osan-dong, the site of the old Dongtan Township Office, and held an unveiling ceremony on the 4th. The event was attended by over 100 people, including Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun of Hwaseong, National Assemblyman Lee Junseok, Yu Jiseon, President of Hwaseong Cultural Center, as well as heads of local organizations and residents.

The marker stone was installed to commemorate the historical significance of Dongtan Township as the administrative center and starting point of regional development, and to honor its value as the origin of Dongtan New Town.

The location where the marker stone now stands is believed to be where the township office was situated after Dongtan Township was established in 1914 through the merger of Dongbuk Township and Eotan Township. After the construction of a new township office building in 1990, the area served as the administrative center until the office was relocated to Banggyori (now Banggyo-dong) in 2012.

The front of the marker stone is inscribed with a phrase indicating the former location of the Dongtan Township Office, while the back features a map of Dongtan Township along with a brief history. An information board nearby also explains the history of Dongtan and the origins of local village names.

Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun of Hwaseong stated, "The site of the Dongtan Township Office is the root and identity of Dongtan, with a history spanning over 100 years," and added, "I hope this place, where the new future continues on the foundation of the past, will be remembered with pride by our citizens."