North Chŏlla

North Chŏlla, also spelled North Jeolla, Korean in full Chŏllapuk-do or Jeollabuk-do, do (province), southwestern South Korea. It is bounded by the provinces of South and North Ch’ungch’ŏng (Chungcheong; north), North and South Kyŏngsang (Gyeongsang; east), and South Chŏlla (south), and by the Yellow Sea (west). The province is divided by the Noryŏng Mountains, a spur of the T’aebaek Mountains. The eastern part is a plateau, and the western part is a plain through which flow the Sŏmjin (Seomjin), Man’gyŏng (Mangyeong), Tongjin (Dongjin), and Kŭm (Geum) rivers.

The western plain, one of the largest granaries in the country, produces rice, barley, cotton, hemp, and paper mulberry, used to make high-quality paper for calligraphy, sliding screens, and other traditional purposes. There is cattle breeding on the plateau. The Honam Expressway traverses the province north-south, and an industrial belt connects the provincial capital of Chŏnju (Jeonju), Iksan, and the port city of Kunsan (Gunsan). In 2009 prehistoric dolmens (stone tombs) in the southwestern part of the province were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site together with dolmens in Kyŏnggi (Gyeonggi) and South Chŏlla provinces. Area 3,110 square miles (8,055 square km). Pop. (2010) 1,777,220.