Sangju of 107,000 residents is the first Cittaslow in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea and the Cittaslow region ranges from Hamchang-Eup to Gonggeom-Myeon and Ian-Myeon (12,000 residents). Sangju was once the old capital of Goryeong Gaya, one of the lesser chiefdoms of the Gaya confederacy during the Korean Three Kingdoms period. Along with Gyeongju, it gives rise to half of the name of the Gyeongsang provinces.

The long history of agriculture & local food

Agriculture remains an important sector in the economy of Sangju, as the city has the largest number of farming households of any district in South Korea (42% of the city's households are engaged in farming). There are several new reservoirs and the historical Gonggeom Reservoir constructed during Samhan period. Sangju tries to keep up agricultural section with some specialized produces such as dried persimmons and fruits raised in high altitude.