Coordinates: 36°30′N 126°45′E / 36.500°N 126.750°E / 36.500; 126.750
South Chungcheong Province, or Chungcheongnam-do (abbreviated Chungnam), is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong Province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea. In 2012, the provincial capital moved from Daejeon to Hongseong.
Chungnam is South Korea's richest province, with a 2012 GDP per capita of $56,133, a level of living standard higher than that of Norway and higher than the United States. It is by far South Korea's fastest growing region, with an average GDP growth of 9.7% in 2001-2007 that accelerated to 12.4% in 2010. Such rapid growth transformed it from a mostly agricultural to a highly industrialized economy in the 21st century.
Along with Gangwon, Chungnam is the only province outside the Seoul Capital Area to be served by the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, with Seoul Subway Line 1 passing Cheonan and Asan. Multimillion-dollar projects are being developed, such as New Asan City centered on the newly built Cheonan-Asan Station that connects Chungnam's largest city, Cheonan, to Seoul Station in less than 30 minutes via the KTX bullet train.
Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do; Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰuŋtɕʰʌŋ-do]) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Chungcheong was located in the southwest of Korea. The provincial capital was located at Gongju, which had been the capital of the kingdom of Baekje from 475 to 538.
Chungcheong Province was formed during the in 1356—during the Goryeo Dynasty—from the southern portion of the former province of Yanggwang. Its name derived from the names of the principal cities of Chungju (충주; 忠州) and Cheongju (청주; 淸州).
In 1895, the province was replaced by the Districts of Chungju (Chungju-bu; 충주부; 忠州府) in the east, Gongju (Gongju-bu; 공주부; 公州府) in the centre, and Hongju (Hongju-bu; 홍주부; 洪州府; modern-day Hongseong County) in the west.
In 1896, Chungju and eastern Gongju Districts were reorganized into North Chungcheong Province, and Hongju and western Gongju Districts were reorganized into South Chungcheong Province. North and South Chungcheong are today part of South Korea.