Present Day
Administrative reforms in 1963 re-integrated Wido-myeon of Yeonggwang-gun, to Buan-gun. Completion of reclamation works in Gyehwado Island in 1978 expanded the area of Buan-gun by 3,968 ha, and the separation of Jinseo-myeon from Sannae-myeon created new districts of Gyewha-myeon and Jinseo-myeon. There are 1-eup, 12-myeon level districts in Buan-gun, with the total area of 492.73 ㎢ (42% agricultural land, 42% woodlands, 16% other use). Buan-gun is located at 126 degrees 40 minutes east, and 35 degrees 40 minutes north. It is situated at the western side of Jeollabuk-do Province, connected along the coast to the city of Gunsan, the city of Gimje to northeast, Jeongeup to southeast, and Gochang to the south. Before the completion of the Saemangeum Embankment, Buan-gun had 99 km of coastline from the mouth of Dongjingang River to Upo-ri, Julpo-myeon area, but the completion of the embankment reduced the total length to 66 km. The eastern side of the county is lower than the west's mountainous regions, which protrudes into the West Sea as a peninsula. Southwest is mountainous, while the northeast is covered in wide and rich farmland. Because of these geographical factors and the influence of the seasonal northwestern wind, Buan-gun sees heavy snowfall in winter.
