City Asia
Daejeon
Daejeon is a big city in the middle of South Korea. It is famous for science!
Daejeon is a big city in the center of South Korea, in a basin ringed by mountains. Its name means 'great fields'. It is known for science: a large research zone, the 1993 Daejeon Expo and many universities. The 2025 census counted 1,469,299 people in the metropolitan city.
Daejeon, a metropolitan city at the geographic center of South Korea, 167.3 km south of Seoul (city government), had 1,469,299 inhabitants at the census of 1 November 2025 (City Population, from Statistics Korea). Larousse lists it among the country's six large autonomous cities and calls it an industrial center; the city government highlights INNOPOLIS DAEDEOK, its special research and development zone.
Photo: Ahmed, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Daejeon
Daejeon is a big city in the middle of South Korea.
Its name means 'great fields'. Mountains stand all around it.
Daejeon lies at the geographic center of South Korea, says the city government, 167.3 kilometers south of Seoul and 238.2 kilometers northwest of Busan. Its name translates as 'great fields'.
Larousse counts Daejeon among South Korea's six big self-governing cities, with Busan, Incheon, Gwangju, Daegu and Ulsan. The 2025 census counted 1,469,299 people in Daejeon Metropolitan City.
Daejeon city government (Basic Information): located at the geographic center of the Republic of Korea, 167.3 km south of Seoul and 238.2 km northwest of Busan; the name translates literally to 'great fields'. Larousse: one of the six large autonomous cities (with Busan, Incheon, Gwangju, Daegu and Ulsan); 1,408,809 inhabitants (2001). City Population (Statistics Korea; register-based census since 2015), Daejeon Metropolitan City: 803,954 (1980), 1,049,578 (1990), 1,368,207 (2000), 1,501,859 (2010), 1,538,394 (2015), 1,488,435 (2020), 1,469,299 (1 November 2025).
- Country
- South Korea; at the country's geographic center (city government)
- People in Daejeon Metropolitan City (census 2025)
- 1,469,299
- Name
- 'great fields' (city government)
- Distance from Seoul
- 167.3 km to the south (city government)
A science park, a tower and museums
Look at the bright city at night! The buildings glow, and cars line the street.
Daejeon has a tall tower and a science park. It also has a museum about people from long, long ago.
This photo shows a street in Daejeon at night in October 2019: tall buildings with lit windows, a rooftop glowing blue, and cars lined along the road.
Hanbit Tower, 93 meters tall, was built in 1993, the year of the Daejeon Expo; on Wikidata its point is about 0.3 kilometers from Expo Science Park's, about 3 kilometers north of the city's point. The Daejeon Prehistory Museum was built after the Noeun-dong Site was found in 1997; it shows objects from the Old Stone Age to the Iron Age, and visitors can try digging in an outdoor practice pit.
Commons: 'Daejeon at night', own work by Ahmed, CC BY 4.0, 12 October 2019, 19:57. Wikidata, from the city point (Q20921): Expo Science Park (Q624528) and Taejon Expo '93 (Q485948) 3.00 km N; Hanbit Tower (Q16100566, 93 m, 1993) 2.98 km N; KAIST (Q39949) 3.14 km NW; Hanbat Arboretum (Q16172014) 2.23 km N. City government (Museums and Art Centers): Daejeon Prehistory Museum, an annex of the Municipal Museum, founded after the 1997 discovery of the Noeun-dong Site, with artifacts from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age and an archaeological dig experience pit; Daejeon Arts Center opened in October 2003 (Art Hall 1,546 seats; Ensemble Hall 634).
- Hanbit Tower
- 93 m tall, built in 1993; its point about 0.3 km from Expo Science Park's (Wikidata)
- Daejeon Prehistory Museum
- built after the Noeun-dong Site was found in 1997 (city government)
- Daejeon Arts Center
- opened in October 2003; its Art Hall seats 1,546 (city government)
From Stone Age camps to a science city
People lived here in the Stone Age, a very long time ago!
Today Daejeon is a big city of scientists and students.
The Noeun-dong Site, found in 1997, shows that people lived here from the Old Stone Age to the Three Kingdoms period, says the city government. In modern times Daejeon grew fast: the census counted 803,954 people in 1980 and more than 1.5 million in 2010.
A research park in Daedeok was completed in November 1992, and in 1993 the city hosted the Daejeon Expo, whose mascot Kkumdori is today one of the city's official characters.
City government: the Noeun-dong Site (Monument No. 38), discovered in 1997, is a window onto the culture of Daejeon from the Paleolithic to the Three Kingdoms period; master plan for the Daedeok R&D and Academic City, Research Park completed in November 1992; Kkumdori was the official mascot of the 1993 Daejeon Expo. City Population: 803,954 (1980) to 1,538,394 (2015), then 1,488,435 (2020) and 1,469,299 (2025). Larousse (undated entry): an industrial center with machine and railway building, textiles and breweries.
- Noeun-dong Site
- remains from the Old Stone Age to the Three Kingdoms period; found in 1997 (city government)
- Daedeok research park
- completed in November 1992 (city government)
- Daejeon Expo
- 1993 (city government)
Trains through the middle of Korea
Trains stop at Daejeon's railway stations.
A metro train carries people from place to place.
Daejeon lies between Seoul, 167.3 kilometers to the north, and Busan, 238.2 kilometers to the southeast. The city government lists tourist information centers at Seodaejeon Station and at the city's terminal complex. On Wikidata, Daejeon Station is about 4.9 kilometers east-southeast of the city's point, and Seodaejeon Station about 3.5 kilometers south-southeast.
Daejeon Metro Line 1 opened on 16 March 2006 and runs 22.74 kilometers, Wikidata records.
City government: 167.3 km south of Seoul and 238.2 km northwest of Busan; tourist information centers at Seodaejeon Station and the Daejeon Terminal Complex. Wikidata, from the city point (Q20921): Daejeon Station (Q20919) 4.87 km ESE; Seodaejeon Station (Q54293) 3.47 km SSE; City Hall Station (Q1586320) 0.24 km NE. Wikidata: Daejeon Metro Line 1 (Q200310), opened 16 March 2006, length 22.74 km.
- Daejeon Metro Line 1
- opened on 16 March 2006; 22.74 km long (Wikidata)
- Railway stations
- Daejeon Station (Wikidata) and Seodaejeon Station, which has a tourist information center (city government)
- Busan
- 238.2 km to the southeast (city government)
Cold winters, hot and rainy summers
Winter in Daejeon is cold, below freezing at night.
Summer is hot, and July and August bring lots of rain.
The World Meteorological Organization's averages for Daejeon, for 1991 to 2020, show January days of about 4 °C and nights of about −5.5 °C. August is the hottest month, with days of about 30 °C and nights of about 22.5 °C.
About 1,351 millimeters of rain fall in a year. July is the wettest month, with 306.9 millimeters, and January the driest, with 25.5.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Daejeon (Korea Meteorological Administration; period 1991-2020 as given in the data): mean daily maximum 4.1 °C (Jan) to 30.3 °C (Aug); mean daily minimum −5.5 °C (Jan) to 22.5 °C (Aug). Precipitation 25.5 mm (Jan) to 306.9 mm (Jul); July and August together 606.7 mm; sum 1,351.2 mm; 6.1 (Oct) to 16.4 (Jul) days, about 114 a year.
- January, average daily high and low (WMO, Daejeon, 1991–2020)
- 4.1 °C and −5.5 °C
- August, average daily high and low (same table)
- 30.3 °C and 22.5 °C
- Rain in a year (twelve months added up)
- about 1,351 mm
Science, universities and music
Many scientists work in Daejeon, and lots of students go to its universities.
The city also has an orchestra that plays old Korean music!
Daejeon is a science city. The city government says its special research and development zone, INNOPOLIS DAEDEOK, has played a key role in Korean science and technology over the past 40 years, and that Daejeon has 19 universities, two of them national universities.
The city also keeps old traditions alive. The Yeonjeong Korean Traditional Music Center, first opened in 1981, has its own orchestra of 100 musicians playing Korean traditional music.
City government: INNOPOLIS DAEDEOK, over the past 40 years, has helped make Korea a science and technology powerhouse (the page cites a 2019 IMD ranking); Daejeon has 19 universities, including two national universities. Yeonjeong Korean Traditional Music Center: opened in 1981 as a municipal center, merged with the Daejeon Citizens' Center in 2005, moved to a new building in Dunsan-dong in 2015; Keunmadang Hall 750 seats, Jakeunmadang Hall 338; an in-house traditional Korean orchestra of 100 members. Larousse: machine and railway building, textiles, breweries.
- INNOPOLIS DAEDEOK
- a special research and development zone (city government)
- Universities
- 19, including two national universities (city government)
- Korean traditional music orchestra
- 100 members, at the Yeonjeong Korean Traditional Music Center (city government)
Daejeon on the map
Find South Korea on the globe. Daejeon is right in the middle of it.
Daejeon lies at about 36.35° north and 127.4° east, in the middle of South Korea. The city government says it sits in a basin, with Mount Sikjangsan to the east, Mount Gubongsan to the west, Mount Bomunsan to the south and a peak of Mount Gyejoksan to the north.
Mount Gyeryongsan, 845 meters high, marks its border with the city of Gongju, and Daecheong Dam its border with Cheongju.
Daejeon lies at about 36.35° N, 127.39° E (Wikidata point of Daejeon, Q20921; the Natural Earth/sheet point is 3.68 km ESE of it). City government: a basin with Mt. Sikjangsan to the east, Mt. Gubongsan to the west, Mt. Bomunsan to the south and Yeonbong Peak of Mt. Gyejoksan to the north; borders Gongju at Mt. Gyeryongsan (845 m) and Cheongju at Daecheong Dam.
- Latitude
- about 36.35° north
- Longitude
- about 127.4° east
- Setting
- a basin ringed by mountains; Mount Gyeryongsan (845 m) on the border with Gongju (city government)
Amazing facts
-
Daejeon's name means 'great fields'!
The city government explains that the name Daejeon translates literally to 'great fields'.
Daejeon city government: 'Dae' means 'great', and the name Daejeon translates literally to 'great fields'.
-
At a museum in Daejeon, you can try digging like a real archaeologist!
The Daejeon Prehistory Museum has a restored dig site and an outdoor pit where visitors can try archaeological digging.
City government: the Prehistory Museum has a relocated and restored archaeological dig site and an outdoor dig experience pit.
-
In July, Daejeon gets about twelve times as much rain as in January!
In the WMO averages for 1991 to 2020, July brings 306.9 millimeters of rain to Daejeon and January only 25.5.
WMO, Daejeon, 1991–2020: July 306.9 mm on 16.4 days; January 25.5 mm on 8.0 days (a ratio of about 12).
Words to know
- basin
- a low area of land with higher ground all around it
- expo
- a big fair where countries and companies show new ideas and inventions
- prehistoric
- from the time before people wrote things down
- archaeologist
- a scientist who digs up and studies things left by people long ago
- research
- careful study to find out new facts
- census
- an official count of all the people living in a place
Discovery challenge
-
Daejeon is a city in which country?
Daejeon lies at the geographic center of which country?
Daejeon, 167.3 km south of Seoul, is in which country?
- South Korea
- Canada
- Kenya
Show the answer
South Korea
South Korea!
South Korea.
South Korea (Republic of Korea).
-
What does the name Daejeon mean?
What does the name Daejeon translate to?
According to the city government, what is the literal meaning of 'Daejeon'?
- Great fields
- Tall mountain
- Blue river
Show the answer
Great fields
Great fields!
'Great fields'.
'Great fields' ('Dae' = great).
-
What big fair came to Daejeon in 1993?
Which big event did Daejeon host in 1993?
Kkumdori was the official mascot of which 1993 event?
- The Daejeon Expo
- The Winter Olympics
- A soccer World Cup
Show the answer
The Daejeon Expo
The Daejeon Expo!
The 1993 Daejeon Expo.
The 1993 Daejeon Expo.
-
Which month brings the most rain to Daejeon?
In the 1991–2020 averages, which is Daejeon's wettest month?
Which month has the highest mean precipitation in the WMO 1991–2020 normals for Daejeon?
- July
- January
- October
Show the answer
July
July!
July, with 306.9 millimeters.
July, 306.9 mm.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Daejeon in a mountain basin at the center of South Korea.
- Describe how a research zone and universities shape a city.
- Explain what archaeologists learn from a prehistoric site.
- Read a climate table with a summer rainy season.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why might a country build a science town in its center?
- What would you put in a science fair that the whole world visits?
- Why do you think Daejeon is so much rainier in July than in January?
Try at home or in class
- Dig box: bury small objects in a tray of sand and dig them out with a spoon and brush, writing down where each was found.
- Rain chart: draw Daejeon's monthly rainfall as bars and color July and August.
- Basin model: shape a bowl of play dough with four mountains around a flat middle and place your city in it.
Key vocabulary: basin, expo, prehistoric, archaeologist, research, census
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Basic Information , Daejeon Metropolitan City
- Museums and Art Centers , Daejeon Metropolitan City
- Daedeok Special R&D Zone (INNOPOLIS DAEDEOK) , Daejeon Metropolitan City
- Universities of Daejeon , Daejeon Metropolitan City
- Tourism in Daejeon , Daejeon Metropolitan City
- Daejeon , Larousse encyclopédie
- South Korea: Administrative Division (Provinces, Counties, Cities and City Districts) , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from Statistics Korea
- Daejeon: climatological information (1991–2020) , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- File:Daejeon 2019-10-12 10.38.02 1.jpg (Ahmed) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.