Current Time in Iksan, South Korea

Iksan sits in North Jeolla Province in the southwest of South Korea, on the broad and fertile Honam plain that has long been considered the rice bowl of the country. The land around the city is unusually flat for Korea, an open patchwork of paddy fields crossed by rivers and canals, with low hills rising at the edges. Summers are hot and wet, winters cold and comparatively dry.

Around two hundred and seventy thousand people live in the city, which was known as Iri until it merged with the surrounding county in 1995 and took the older historical name of Iksan. Its greatest modern asset is its position at the junction of the main railway lines of southwestern Korea, making it one of the most important rail hubs in the country and a natural centre for distribution and industry.

The area was a heartland of the ancient kingdom of Baekje, which flourished for several centuries before falling in the seventh century. Iksan preserves two of the most remarkable Baekje sites in Korea, both inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The Mireuksa temple site was once the largest Buddhist complex in the kingdom, and its western stone pagoda, painstakingly dismantled and reassembled over two decades of restoration work, is the oldest and largest stone pagoda in Korea. A short distance away, the Wanggung-ri palace site preserves the outline of a royal compound along with a graceful five storey pagoda standing alone in a green field. The excellent Mireuksaji Museum explains the discoveries made at both sites, including a gilded reliquary that revealed the name of the queen who founded the temple.

Modern Iksan is closely associated with jewellery. A special industrial district established in the 1970s made the city the centre of the Korean precious metals trade, and the Iksan Jewelry Museum displays gemstones, fossils and craftsmanship from around the world. The city has also invested heavily in a national food industry cluster, drawing research institutes and food manufacturers to the region.

Cultural life includes the Seodong Festival, named after the legendary prince whose romance with a Silla princess is tied to the founding of Mireuksa, along with seasonal markets and performances of traditional pansori singing, an art form deeply rooted in the Jeolla region. The province is famous throughout Korea for its cuisine, and Iksan is no exception, known for hearty bean sprout soup and generous side dishes.

KTX high speed trains reach Seoul in around an hour and a half, and regional lines fan out toward Gwangju, Yeosu and Busan, while express buses and highways serve the surrounding countryside. Wonkwang University, a large private institution with strong programmes in medicine and Korean traditional medicine, gives the city a substantial student community.

Iksan rewards visitors with ancient monuments, open farmland scenery and an easygoing pace that contrasts with the larger cities of Korea.