Bundang-gu
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Template:Korean name image hanja Bundang is the southernmost district of Seongnam, South Korea. It is considered to be the thriving, beating heart of modern day Seongnam. A recently developed area, it is notably more organised and planned than the rest of Seongnam, and its residents are generally more affluent, leading to some local rivalry. Indeed, there has been a feeling for some time in Bundang that it would be wise to separate from Seongnam, since more money is likely to be spent developing the poorer parts of the city than Bundang itself.
Seoul National University has a hospital in Bundang, just east of the Tancheon, the river which runs through the city, heading from Yongin (to the south), northwards, through Bundang and the rest of Seongnam, to Seoul, where it joins the Han River by the Olympic Stadium, known today as the Sports Complex.
Bundang is home to Gyeonggi Province's only international banks, namely Citibank and HSBC. Their presence serves to further solidify Bundang's reputation as an upscale area.
There are also several nightlife areas, most notably the streets around Seohyeon Station, the quieter, more restaurant-oriented area around Sunae Station, and the junction under which lies Migeum Subway Station. The nightlife areas of Bundang are more wholesome than those in the rest of Seongnam, which is infamous for its love hotels and places of dubious nature.
Tourism
Bundang is chiefly residential, so it is well off the tourist track. There are few ancient relics, sights or buildings of note. There are, however, two pleasant parks which have been established for residents' pleasure. Central Park, east of the road between Seohyeon and Sunae Stations, has a lake, fountain and several old houses, while Yul Dong Park, to the east, has a larger reservoir and a bungee jumping platform, at 45 m, the highest in South Korea.
Bundang is also home to St. John's Cathedral (분당요한성당) which is one of the largest Roman Catholic cathedrals on the Asian continent. It is conspicuously located on the eastern part of Bundang. It employs a balance of both modern as well as gothic-style architecture. It also features an authentic, detail-by-detail replica of Michelangelo's Pietà; one of only three in the world officially authorized by the Vatican.
Administration
Bundang is divided into 19 "dong" (동, "neighborhoods"):
- Gumi-dong (구미동)
- Gunae-dong (구내동)
- Geumgok-dong (금곡동)
- Daejang-dong (대장동)
- Dongwon-dong (동원동)
- Bundang-dong (분당동)
- Sampyeong-dong (삼평동)
- Seohyeon-dong (서현동)
- Seokun-dong (서군동)
- Sunae-dong (수내동)
- Yatap-dong (야탑동)
- Ori-dong (오리동)
- Unjung-dong (언정동)
- Yul-dong (율동)
- Imae-dong (이매동)
- Jangan-dong (장안동)
- Jeongja-dong (정자동)
- Pangyo-dong (팡요동)
- Hasanun-dong (하사눈동)
Transportation
How removed Bundang feels from Seongnam itself is shown in the plethora of buses which bypass most of Seongnam en route to and from Seoul. Bundang is served well by public transport, with many buses, and an underground railway. The Bundang Line connects to the Seoul Underground network at Moran, Bokjeong, Suseo, Dogok and Seolleung Stations. Recently, it has been extended south into the city of Yongin, and further extensions to this line are planned, with it being intended to stretch south to Giheung before sweeping west to Suwon and eventually even to Incheon, when, presumably, it will be renamed.