Gyeonggi Province’s plan to split off a northern section of the province under a new name as the special self-governing province of "Pyeonghwa Nuri” is facing public backlash, with an online petition against the proposed name drawing over 27,000 participants as of Thursday afternoon.
The petition was filed shortly after Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon unveiled the winning name following a monthlong competition held in January, in a press conference Wednesday.
Abbreviated, as is often the case with other provincial names, it would become "Pyeongnu-do."
“(The winning name) may be finalized as the official name, or the government may opt for a different name,” Gov. Kim said.
The naming is part of a plan to separate into a new administrative entity the northern part of the current Gyeonggi Province. The envisioned new province would comprise eight cities and two counties, including Yeoncheon, Paju and Pocheon. Located north of the capital Seoul, these areas line the border with North Korea.
The rest of the province is to retain the name Gyeonggi Province.
The naming competition, which ran from Jan. 18, drew more than 52,000 entries. The winning name was suggested by a 91-year-old woman residing in Daegu, who was awarded 10 million won ($7,260).
"Pyeonghwa," means peace in Korean, while “nuri” means world.
The online petition filed by a resident of Namyangju, part of the proposed new province, questioned whether the partition drive genuinely reflects the opinions of residents, while also criticizing the proposed name for sounding “pro-North Korea.”
"Peace," when associated with North Korea, often carries political implications in South Korea, as notions of peace, conciliation and unification with the North are more typical of a liberal agenda.
In the comment section for the petition, some online users also expressed dissatisfaction with the name, labeling it as overly “corny” and “outdated.”
During the event to unveil the name on Wednesday, the governor stressed there was no ideological or political agenda behind the partition initiative.
The provincial government intends to submit to the National Assembly a legislative proposal for the partition, with the objective of completing the process by July 2026.
Surrounding the capital Seoul, Gyeonggi Province is the most populous province in South Korea, with some 13.63 million residents. Within the province, the northern part accounts for a population of 3.56 million as of February. As of 2024, the population of the city of Seoul amounted to around 10 million.
