{{short description|Administrative unit of districts throughout Korea}} {{Italic title}} {{Infobox Korean name/auto |title=Neighborhood |hangul=동 |hanja=洞 |othername1=Administrative neighborhood |hangul1=행정동 |hanja1=行政洞 |othername2=Legal-status neighborhood |hangul2=법정동 |hanja2=法定洞 }} {{Administrative divisions of South Korea}} {{Administrative divisions of North Korea}}
A '''''dong''''' ({{Korean|hangul=동}}; {{IPAc|ko|to̞ŋ|IPA}}) or '''neighborhood''' is a submunicipal level administrative unit of a [[List of cities in South Korea|city]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Korea annual, Volume 1991 |publisher=[[Yonhap News Agency]] |edition=37 |year=2000 |page=126 |isbn=978-89-7433-051-4}}</ref> and of those [[List of cities in South Korea|cities]] which are not divided into wards throughout [[Korea]]. The unit is often translated as neighborhood and has been used in administrative divisions of both [[North Korea]]<ref>Hunter, (1999) p.154</ref> and [[South Korea]].<ref>Nelson, (2000), p.30</ref><ref>No, (1993), p.208</ref>
== In South Korea == A ''dong'' is, usually, the smallest level of urban-area division to have its own office and staff in South Korea. There are two types of ''dong'': '''legal-status neighborhood''' ({{lang|ko|법정동}}) and '''administrative neighborhood''' ({{lang|ko|행정동}}).<ref name="EncyKorea">{{cite web |url=http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=K&i=291712&v=44 |script-title=ko:동 洞 |trans-title=Dong |publisher=[[Nate (web portal)|Nate]] / [[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |language=ko |access-date=2009-09-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610062853/http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=K&i=291712&v=44 |archive-date=2011-06-10 }}</ref><ref name="Britannica">{{cite web |url=http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=B&i=127489&v=44 |script-title=ko:동 洞 |trans-title=Dong |publisher=[[Nate (web portal)|Nate]] / [[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |language=ko |access-date=2009-09-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610062911/http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=B&i=127489&v=44 |archive-date=2011-06-10 }}</ref><ref name="Doosan">{{cite web |url=http://www.encyber.com/search_w/ctdetail.php?masterno=188263&contentno=188263 |script-title=ko:행정동 行政洞 |trans-title=''Haengjeong-dong'' (trans. Administrative dong) |publisher=[[Doosan Encyclopedia]] |language=ko |access-date=2009-09-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902220629/http://www.encyber.com/search_w/ctdetail.php?masterno=188263&contentno=188263 |archive-date=2009-09-02 }}</ref>
For land property and (old) address, '''legal-status neighborhood''' is mainly used. Unlike what the name indicates, they are not defined by any [[written law]]. Instead, most of names are came from [[customary law]], which indicates historical names. "Administrative neighborhood", however, is defined by local governments to make an office (community center). Community centers provide some administrative services such as residential/birth registration or death notification, to relieve service pressure of local government. Also, electoral districts are based on administrative neighborhood.
In usual cases, an administrative neighborhood is set by population of the area to match demands for the civil services. Because legal-status neighborhood uses historical name, recently developed (populated) area can be grouped as a single legal-status neighborhood. In such places, it can be divided into several administrative neighborhoods. [[Sillim-dong]] is a typical example for this case. For the same reason, there are some inverse cases, i.e. a single administrative neighborhood holding multiple legal-status neighborhoods. Such cases contain an undeveloped suburban area, or a recently declining area.
The primary division of a ''dong'' is the ''tong'' ({{lang|ko|통/統}}), but divisions at this level and below are used rarely in daily life. Cases using ''tong'' contain school districts or military services. Some ''dong'' are subdivided into ''ga'' ({{lang|ko|가/街}}), which are not a separate level of government but only exist for use in addresses. Many major thoroughfares in [[Seoul]], [[Busan]], and other cities are also subdivided into ''ga''.
The widest ''legal-status dong'' is [[Unseo-dong]] in Jung District, Incheon Metropolitan City, with an area of {{convert|51.56|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Incheon International Airport occupies most of the area. This is wider than Anyang City, with an area of {{convert|58.46|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, and Gyeryong City, with an area of {{convert|60.7|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kyeongin.com/main/view.php?key=627468|script-title=ko:중구 운서동 주민센터 문열어|trans-title=Jung-gu Unseo-dong administrative welfare center opened|publisher=Kyeongin Ilbo|language=ko|access-date=15 July 2023}}</ref> The narrowest ''legal-status dong'' is Sangdeok-dong in [[Jung District, Daegu|Jung District]], Daegu Metropolitan City, with an area of 2,971 m<sup>2</sup> (0.003 km<sup>2</sup>).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.yeongnam.com/web/view.php?key=20211014000750493|script-title=ko:[포토 스토리] 100걸음 걸으면 동네 끝…국내 최소 법정동 '대구 중구 상덕동'|trans-title=[Photo Story] If you walk 100 steps, the neighborhood ends... 'Sangdeok-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu', the smallest legal-status dong in South Korea|date=14 October 2021|publisher=The Yeongnam Ilbo|language=ko|access-date=15 July 2023}}</ref>
== In popular culture == The YouTuber [[iGoBart]] has produced a YouTube series that covers each of Seoul's ''dong''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Roos |first=Amber Anne |date=2023-11-16 |title=YouTuber 'iGoBart' and his mission to explore all 467 neighborhoods of Seoul |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231116000839 |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=[[The Korea Herald]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Chatzoudi |first=Foteini |date=2023-12-08 |title=Dutch YouTuber aims to explore all 467 Seoul neighborhoods |url=https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/HonoraryReporters/view?articleId=243367&pageIndex=1 |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=[[Korea.net]] |language=en}}</ref>
== See also == * [[Administrative divisions of North Korea]] * [[Administrative divisions of South Korea]] * [[Barangay]], a similar subdivision of [[Philippines]]
== Notes == {{reflist}}
== References == * Hunter, Helen-Louise. (1999), ''Kim Il-sŏng's North Korea'', Greenwood Publishing Group, {{ISBN|0275962962}} * Nelson, Laura C. (2000) ''Measured excess: status, gender, and consumer nationalism in South Korea'', Columbia University Press, {{ISBN|0-231-11616-0}} * Yusuf, Shahid; Evenett, Simon J., Wu, Weiping. (2001) ''Facets of globalization: international and local dimensions of development'' World Bank Publications, pp. 226–227 {{ISBN|0-8213-4742-X}} * No, Chŏng-hyŏn (1993) ''Public administration and the Korean transformation: concepts, policies, and value conflicts'', Kumarian Press, {{ISBN|1-56549-022-3}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Neighborhoods of South Korea| ]] [[Category:Neighbourhoods in North Korea| ]] [[Category:Subdivisions of South Korea| ]] [[Category:Subdivisions of North Korea| ]] [[Category:Administrative divisions in Asia|Korea, South]]