Yeocheon

Yeocheon-si 여천시
City
Downtown Yeocheon and Yeocheon Central Station
Nickname(s):  Future City, Chrysanthemum City
Country	Haesan
Administrative District (Province)	Namhae
Founded	c. 50 BCE
Government
• Mayor	Kim Seung-hwan (Free Democrats)
Area
• Total	380 km2 (148 sq mi)
Elevation	11 m (35 ft)
Population  (2015)
• Total	2,490,923
• Density	6,500/km2 (17,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+7 (CHT)
Website	yeocheonsi.hn

Yeocheon is a city in Haesan's Namhae Province. With a population of about 2.5 million, it is the second largest city in Namhae and the ninth largest in Haesan. Yeocheon is located at the mouth of the narrow Bay of Anmi near the Yeo Stream which gives the city its name. Originally a small fishing community, the city first appeared on ancient maps of the Dukedom of Choi around 400 CE, but it is estimated that the city was founded a few centuries before then. For most of Haesan's ancient history, Yeocheon was a provincial city, too far away from the central Namgil trade corridor to be relevant. It was not until the Opthelian colonial period when the city's small port became relevant, when the Opthelian military used the more accessible location and more sheltered port to transfer goods and arms more efficiently, utilizing the city's newfound rail connection. That ease of access and key coastal location overlooking the Bay of Anmi would ultimately lead for the development of an Opthelian fort and military training complex in the city.

Post democratization, the city became the primary center for military organization of the First Commonwealth, with the Opthelian facilities converted into the Fort Osborne military academy, the premier officer training school in Haesan. As a result of the city's military importance, it was targeted incessantly by Daryan bombing raids during the Great War, and nearly the entirety of the mid-sized city was destroyed. Henri Lagarde made rebuilding Fort Osborne a priority during his second stint as dictator during the 1970s, but it was not until post-democratization that the city's redevelopment took off after being designated a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) by the Pak Ye-ju administration in 1987. Since that government label was applied, foreign investors, especially those from Eiria, Libertas Omnium Maximus, and Xiomera, have helped finance the growth of one of the most tech-centric and fastest growing cities in the IDU.

Yeocheon's economy largely revolves around tech, research and development, scientific testing, and manufacturing. The vast majority of Haesan's semiconductor manufacturing takes place in the Yeocheon metropolitan area, driven by companies like Seollim Electronics and Saerom Industries. Other formes of heavy industry, especially the manufacture of consumer appliances and automotive bodies and parts, also comprise a significant component of the economy. Tech start-ups and software companies, like that of the most popular Haesanite search engine Chatgi, are also commonly headquartered in the city. Yeocheon has one of the highest concentrations of tech unicorns in the IDU, with 12 fast-growing private companies founded in the city.

Yeocheon is noted for its many glass and steel skyscrapers, orchestrated by a local push to design a modern "Future City." A centerpiece of the city is its modern central train station, connected to the rest of Haesan by the high speed Southern Express Line, and also a locus for the newly built, "ultra-modern" Yeocheon subway and maglev commuter system. Yeocheon Kim Yun-jae International Airport (YCN) was expanded and entirely renovated, with construction completed in March 2023. It is the 10th busiest airport in Haesan.

Yeocheon is trying to establish itself as a youth hub, and the city is known for its burgeoning nightlife scene, with one of the highest rates of nightclubs per capita in Haesan. The city is also an established hub for certain watersports and is the headquarters of the International Wakeboarding Association. However, despite its large youth population, the city has a reputation for supporting economic interests above all else at the ballot box.

Notable Places

• Fort Osborne, the officer training academy for the Haesanite Military
• Namhae Blvd., a luxury urban shopping corridor with an abundance of modern skyscrapers
• Son Ha-seong Marina, a center for watersports, especially sailing and wakeboarding
• Yeocheon Plaza, a series of gardens, malls, and cultural centers near the city's Central Station