Capital of South Chungchong province, central South Korea; population (2005) 1,438,600. Korea's tallest standing Buddha and oldest wooden building are found northeast of the city at Popchusa in the Mount Songnisan National Park.
The city suffered severe damage in the Korean War of the 1950s. The university was established in 1952. To the west lie the Kyeryongsan National Park and the Yusong Hot Springs.
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