Three Kingdoms period
- Naegi-gun and Geupbeolsan-gun of Goguryeo
- Captured by King Pasa of Silla
- Subjugated under Silla (approx. 100 AD)
Unified Silla period
- Renamed from Naegi-gun to Naeryeong-gun
- Created Gimokjin military post in the Punggi area
Goryeo Dynasty period
- Renamed Gimokjin to Giju, and Gyeomsan-gun to Heungju (995 AD)
- Renamed Naeryeong-gun to Gangju, then Sunan (1143 AD), and Yeongju (1259 AD)
- Renamed Geupbeolsan-gun to Heungju, then Sunjeong.
- Promoted Sunheung to a “Bu” administrative district (1348 AD)
Joseon Dynasty period
- Renamed Sunan to Yeongcheon, appointed a Governor, and renamed Giju to Gicheon-hyeon.
- Consolidated the two villages of Eunpung and Gicheon to use as King Munjong’s retreat, then renamed Punggi
- Promoted Sunheung to a “Dohobu” administrative district (1413 AD)
- Divided Sunheung Dohobu, then incorporated into Pyeobu, Yeongcheon-gun, Punggi-gun, and Bonghwa-hyeon (1457 AD)
- Reinstated Sunheung Dohobu (1683 AD)
- Placed under the jurisdiction of Andong-bu pursuant to Royal Decree No. 28 (32nd year of King Gojong’s reign, 1895 AD)
Japanese Colonial period
- Merged Yeongcheon-gun, Punggi-gun, and Sunheung-gun to create Yeongju-gun pursuant to Administrative Decree No. 11 (1914 AD)
- Promoted Yeongju-myeon to Yeongju-eup pursuant to Administrative Decree No. 221 (1940 AD)
Post-liberation
- Promoted Punggi-myeon to Punggi-eup (1973 AD)
- Promoted Yeongju-eup to Yeongju-si, and detached Punggi-eup and nine Myeon districts to form Yeongpung-gun (1980 AD)
- Merged Yeongju-si and Yeongpung-gun (1995 AD)