| Daegu, also spelled Taegu, officially called Daegu Metropolitan City, is the fourth largest city in South Korea after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon. It is the capital of Gyeongsangbuk-do province, although it is not legally part of that province. As with South Korea's other metropolitan cities, Daegu's government reports directly to the national government.
Culture
Traditionally, people from Daegu have been seen as conservative, modest, hard working, and patient.
Daegu is known as the home of Korean baseball. The Samsung Lions were once again victorious in the Korean Series in 2006. Before the advent of the professional leagues, its high school teams were avidly followed. The city was a co-host of the 2002 FIFA World Cup soccer game. A new football stadium was built for the event.
Traditionally Buddhism was strong; today there are still many temples. Confucianism was popular in Daegu, with a large academy based in the city. Christianity has gained its ground, and churches make up one of its cityscapes today.
Because of the city's rapid growth, the architecture is generally functional and uniform. Some exceptions do exist in older buildings, and in some of the newest, such as Dongdaegu Station, and the Exco building.
Climate
Because it is located in a basin, the climate of Daegu is hotter than the rest of Korea during the summer. The mountains that comprise the basin trap hot and humid air. Similarly, in winter, cold air lies in the basin. The area receives little precipitation except during the rainy season of summer, and is sunny throughout much of the year. Data gathered since 1961 indicate that the mean temperature for January, the coldest month in Daegu, is -0.7°C. The warmest month in Daegu is August when the mean temperature is 26.3°C.
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