Geoje (Korean: 거제시?, 巨濟市?, Geoje-si) is a city in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, South Korea. The city is entirely located on several islands, the largest of which is Geojedo.

History
The territory on which modern Geoje is located belonged to one of the tribal unions of Pyonhan. The name Geoje first appeared in 757, when the city was part of the United Silla state. During the Goryeo Dynasty in 983, Geoje was given the name Kiseong and the status of hyeon. During the Joseon Dynasty, the name was changed to Jechang, and in 1423 the name of Geoje was returned to the city. During the Imjin War, Geoje was heavily damaged by Japanese naval forces. City status was obtained in 1989.

During the Korean War, there was a concentration camp “No. 76” on the island for prisoners of war – North Korean and Chinese soldiers. On May 7, 1952, after an attempt by American troops to disrupt the repatriation, prisoners of war rebelled, captured and tried the head of the camp, General F. Dodd. During the suppression of the uprising, American troops used tanks, and also repeatedly used chemical weapons.

Geography
The city of Geoje is mainly located on the island of Geoje-do off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula near Busan. Geoje-do is the second largest island in South Korea.

Tourism and attractions
– Koga (bridge) – one of the largest bridges in the world with a length of 8.2 kilometers, connecting Geoje with the mainland and several small coastal islands.
– Historical park in the camp for prisoners of war. The former Korean War POW camp, which held up to 173,000 people, has now been turned into an open-air museum.
– The annual January festival of winter swimming enthusiasts.
– Annual October Arts Festival.
– Geoje is famous for its beaches and mountain tourism. The city has 12 beaches equipped for recreation, the largest of which are the beaches of Kujora, Hakdong and Dokpo.Despite the small size of the island of Geojedo, it has several mountains suitable for mountain tourism. The most famous mountain of Geoje-do is Gyeongsan, which is 566 meters high and is located in the center of the island.

Symbols
Like the rest of the cities and counties in South Korea, Geoje has a number of symbols:
Wood: Thunberg pine
Bird: seagull
Flower: camellia
Mascots: Mondori and Monsuni