| Honam | |
 | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 호남 |
| Hanja | 湖南 |
| RR | Honam |
| MR | Honam |
Honam (Korean pronunciation: [ho.nam]; literally "south of the lake") is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea.1 Today, the term refers to Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, Jeju Province and Jeonbuk State.1 The name "Jeonla-do" is used in the names of the Honam Line and Honam Expressway, which are major transportation corridors connecting Seoul and Daejeon to the Honam region. The name is often used to refer to people residing in the region. There is also Honam University, which is located in Gwangju, the biggest city in Honam.2
Electorally, Honam is a strong liberal region, voting strongly for Democratic Party candidates. During Park Chung Hee's reign, Yeongnam became heavily industrialized, whilst Honam was relatively neglected, remaining more underdeveloped. In addition, Gwangju was the site of the 1980 anti-government uprising and has cemented itself as an anti-authoritarian stronghold.34
References
References
- "Where is Ho (Lake) in Honam / Hoseo? Byeolgogje? Seungrimji?". yonhapnews (in Korean). 2015-03-01. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
- sourcers. "How to get to Honam University". www.honam.ac.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-04-28.
- "Regionalism still a powerful force in South Korea as it votes for its next president, say experts". CNA. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
- Admin, T. S. D. (2020-05-26). "Regionalism: Fading Shadow or Unyielding Ghost?". Korea Economic Institute of America. Retrieved 2026-04-28.