Province reviews 15 place-name proposals to prevent location mix-ups during disasters
South Chungcheong Province has overhauled the names of similar and duplicate underpasses and updated local place names to prevent location confusion during emergencies and improve the accuracy of spatial information.
The province held the third session of the 2026 South Chungcheong Province Place Name Committee at the provincial office on Wednesday, reviewing and approving 15 proposals — covering the establishment, revision and abolition of place names — submitted by three cities and counties, including Boryeong, Nonsan and Yesan.
The committee focused on establishing, revising and abolishing natural place names, as well as standardizing the names of public facilities such as underpasses in urban areas where location confusion could arise.
Place names — assigned to natural features such as mountains, rivers and valleys, as well as structures like bridges and intersections — are cultural heritage assets that carry a region's history and identity, and serve as fundamental spatial information providing accurate location data.
The names of public facilities are not merely labels for those structures; they are critical information for conveying precise locations when disasters or accidents occur.
Im Taek-bin, head of the province's land management division, said the province would "systematically manage place names across the province — improving and supplementing confusing or difficult names — to provide accurate spatial information," adding that it would "do its utmost to create a safer environment."
The approved place names will be reported to the minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport — through the National Geographic Information Institute — before being officially confirmed via publication in the official gazette, after which they will be reflected in national base maps and internet portal map services.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
