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강화도
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江華島
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Ganghwado
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Kanghwado
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is an island in the estuary of the
Han River , on the west coast of
South Korea . About 65,500 people live on the island. With an area of 302.4
Km&2 , it constitutes most of Ganghwa-gun, a division of
Incheon Municipality. The island's highest point is Mani-san, 469 meters above
Sea Level .
Ganghwa Island is separated from
Gimpo , on the mainland, by a narrow channel, which is spanned by several bridges. The main channel of the Han River separates the island from
Gaeseong in
North Korea .
Because of its strategic position in the mouth of the Han River, Ganghwa Island has often played a key role in historical events. In the
Ninth Century ,
Unified Silla established a garrison on the island to combat piracy. The commander
Wang Geon established his military reputation at the garrison, later going on to found the kingdom of
Goryeo . In the
Thirteenth Century , the court of Goryeo took refuge on the island as
Mongol forces
Invaded In 1232 . After Goryeo capitulated to the Mongols, the elite forces on the island rose up, beginning the
Sambyeolcho Rebellion . During the Manchu invasion of 1636, the
Joseon court sought to follow the Goryeo example, but the royal refugees were captured by the invaders.
In the
Nineteenth Century , as outside powers sought to enter Korea by sea, Ganghwa became a point of contact rather than a refuge. During the 19th century, Christianity was introduced into Korea. For the massacre of French Catholic Missionaries and followers, French navy invaded the Ganghwa Island in 1866, and was defeated. The
US Asiatic Squadron visited the island in May 1871, with the primary excuse as the USS General Sherman incident in Pyongyang, although the main objective of the expedition was to establish trade and deplomatic relations with Korea. In case of USS General Sherman in 1866, Americans killed the Korean inhabitants, plundered the coastal area, and kidnapped a military officer. For this, the angered Korean population burnt down the ship. Misunderstanding between the both sides brought them into conflict. The fact that the Korean cannons could not aim properly due to some errors in the setup caused the bullets to go past the ships, and allowed the American fleet to bombard the fortresses and take them over with the infantry. In
1875 Japanese forces attacked the Joseon garrison on the island. Early the following year, the
Treaty Of Kanghwa was concluded. That agreement, concluded on Ganghwa Island, officially opened Korea to Japanese trade for the first time during the 19th century (although trade did go on before Japan westernized and Korea became a hermit kingdom).
Numerous historical sites are maintained on the island.
Gachon Medical School is also located there.
