| Eight Provinces | |
|---|---|
| Korean Name | |
| Revised Romanization | Paldo |
| McCune-Reischauer | |
| Hangul | 팔도 |
| Hanja | 八道 |
During the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was divided into eight provinces. The boundaries reflected geographic and cultural divisions and corresponded closely to the boundaries between Korean dialects. Because of the natural fit between the provincial boundaries and the "real world," most of the provincial boundaries and names survive in one form or another down to today. Most of the traditional provinces also had alternative regional names which are still used today (especially Honam, Yeongdong, and Yeongnam). Below is a table listing the eight provinces, their dialects, regional names, and the modern administrative divisions that replaced them. (Note that provinces and cities now in North Korea are romanized using the McCune-Reischauer system, while South Korean provinces and cities use the Revised Romanization of Korean.)
| Province | Hangul | Hanja | Regional Name | Dialect | Modern divisions |
| Chungcheong | 충청도 | 忠靑道 | Hoseo | Chungcheong | Daejeon, North & South Chungcheong |
| Gangwon (Kangwŏn) | 강원도 | 江原道 | Gwandong, Yeongseo, Yeongdong (See note 1 below) | Gangwon | Kangwŏn (North Korea), Gangwon (South Korea), Kŭmgang-san |
| Gyeonggi | 경기도 | 京畿道 | Sudogwon (See note 2 below) | Seoul | Seoul, Incheon, Kaesŏng, Gyeonggi |
| Gyeongsang | 경상도 | 慶尙道 | Yeongnam | Gyeongsang | Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, North & South Gyeongsang |
| Hamgŏng | 함경도 | 咸鏡道 | Kwanbuk (North half), Kwannam (South half) | Hamgyŏng | Rasŏn, North & South Hamgyŏng, Ryanggang |
| Hwanghae | 황해도 | 黃海道 | (none) | Hwanghae | North & South Hwanghae |
| Jeolla | 전라도 | 全羅道 | Honam | Jeolla, Jeju | Gwangju, North & South Jeolla, Jeju |
| P'yŏngan | 평안도 | 平安道 | Kwansŏ | P'yŏngan | P'yŏngyang, Shinŭiju, North & South P'yŏngan, Chagang |
"Gwandong" is properly applied to the entire province, while "Yeongseo" and "Yeongdong" are names for the western and eastern parts of the province respectively. "Yeongdong" is used today much more frequently than either of the other names, and may be taken loosely to refer to Gangwon Province as a whole.
"Sudogwon" ("capital region") is most likely a 20th-century name. The first two Hanja of the province's name (京畿) literally mean "area around the capital."