Oido (Korean: 오이도; lit. crow's ear island) is an area in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. As its name suggests, it was previously an island, but land reclamation projects in the 20th century led to it eventually joining the mainland.[1]
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The coastline of Oido (2023)
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Geography | |
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Coordinates | 37°20′N 126°42′E / 37.333°N 126.700°E / 37.333; 126.700 |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 오이도 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Oido |
McCune–Reischauer | Oido |
The place's name is literally "crow's ears"; this is unrelated to the shape of the former island. Its original name was reportedly Ojilido (오질이도; 吾叱耳島).[1]
Oido has shell mounds throughout the whole area, with the largest of the mounds located on the West Coast.[2][3] The Oido shell mounds are the only remains of the exchanges between the North and South Neolithic cultures of the Korean Peninsula. The mounds also provide information on the Neolithic area's changing coastal environment.[4]
Historically, the island had sandy beaches and a range of hills that stretched from north to south. It had farmland and mudflats on the eastern side. The appearance of the interior of the island is reportedly relatively preserved, but the coastline has changed greatly after the land reclamation.[1]
In 1018, it was made part of Ansan-hyeon (안산현; 安山縣). The early years of the Joseon dynasty, called O-jil-ae-do (吾叱耳島), occurred during the reign of King Seongjong (r. 1469–1494) in the Joseon period. In 1757, Silla was incorporated into the Janggu-gun.[clarification needed] It received its current name during the reign of King Jeongjo (r. 1776–1780) On August 4, 1896 it was reorganized to be Ma-you meon, Ansan-gun and Gyeonggi. On April 1, 1914 it was incorporated into Jeong-wang-li, Gun-ja-myeon and Si-heong-gun. In 1940, it was renamed Ansan-gun (안산군; 安山郡). On May 1, 1985 it was reorganized to be Ansan-gun and Incheon. On January 1, 1989 it was reorganized to be part of Jeongwang-dong, Siheung.[5][6]
Media related to Oido at Wikimedia Commons