North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country that has been the subject of much attention and concern in recent years. With its closed-off nature and limited access to the outside world, North Korea remains a mysterious and enigmatic nation. While the country is known for its strict regime and human rights violations, it is important to remember that the people of North Korea are also in need of our prayers and support. Despite the political situation, it is crucial to separate the actions of the government from the individuals who are living under its rule. Praying for North Korea means praying for its people – for their safety, well-being, and freedom. It means praying for the families who have been separated, for those who have lost loved ones, and for those who are living in fear and uncertainty. As we pray for North Korea, let us also pray for peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. The division between North and South Korea has caused immense pain and suffering for both countries, and it is our hope that one day they can find a path towards reunification and harmony. Praying for North Korea does not mean endorsing or supporting its government’s actions. It is simply an act of compassion and empathy towards the people who are caught in the midst of a complex political situation.
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Kyŏnghŭng County, formerly known as Ŭndŏk County
Mining, particularly coal mining, is the chief industry in Undok, where lignite is found; Undok is the site of the Aoji Coal Mine. In addition, farming and livestock raising are widespread. The chief crops are maize, rice, soybeans, and potatoes. The Aoji-ri Chemical Complex is located in the county as well.
Undok lies on the Hambuk Line and Hoeam Line railroads.
Ŏrang County
The county is primarily mountainous, with many hills of more than 200 meters in height. However, there is a narrow plain along the coast. Approximately 85% of the county is forested. The highest peak is T’ugubong (Chosŏn’gŭl: 투구봉). There are various lakes including Changyŏn Lake (Chosŏn’gŭl: 장연호, Hancha: 長淵湖) and Mugye Lake (Chosŏn’gŭl: 무계호, Hancha: 武溪湖).
Chŏngjin (Korean pronunciation: [tsʰʌŋ.dʑin]; Korean: 청진시; MR: Ch’ŏngjin-si) is the capital of North Korea‘s North Hamgyong Province (함경북도) and the country’s third-largest city. It is sometimes called The City of Iron.[2]
According to archaeological findings near the lower areas of the Tumen river, evidence of human living traces back to the paleolithic period.[3]
Chongjin was a small fishing village prior to the Japanese annexation of Korea; its date of establishment is unknown. The Chinese characters for its name mean ‘clear river crossing’.[2] During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, Japanese forces landed at Chongjin and established a supply base due to its proximity to the front lines in Manchuria. The Japanese remained after the end of the war, and in 1908, declared the city an open trading port both for the transport of Korean resources and as a stopping point for resources from China.[4] The city was known during this period as “Seishin”,[5] after the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters for its name. The Imperial Japanese Army’s 19th Division was headquartered in Ranam from 1918, where the Japanese built a new planned city based on a rectangular street grid.[2] In 1930, Nippon Steel built a large steel mill, the Seishin Iron and Steel Works, in the town. Ranam was annexed to Chongjin in 1940, which was elevated to city status. The city was overrun after a brief resistance by the Soviet Union on 13 August 1945, only two days before the end of World War II. Under the rule of North Korea, Chongjin remained an important military and industrial centre. It was directly administered by the central government from 1960–1967 and from 1977–1988.
On April 15, 1969 at 13:30 MT (1:30 PM), a Lockheed EC-121M Super Constellation of the US Navy (135749) was shot down by two North Korean MiG-17 fighters SE of Chongjin over the Sea of Japan. All 31 occupants were killed, making it the deadliest plane crash in North Korean territory. The plane was on a military flight out of Atsugi NAS.[6]
During the North Korean famine of the 1990s, Chongjin was one of the worst affected locations in the country; death rates may have been as high as 20%.[2] Conditions there remain poor in terms of food availability.[2] This problem has caused several instances of civil unrest in Chongjin, a rarity in North Korea. On 4 March 2008, a crowd of women merchants protested in response to tightened market controls.[2] Rising grain prices and government attempts to prohibit “peddling in the market” have been cited as causes for the protests.[2] As a result of the protest, the Chongjin local government “posted a proclamation allowing peddling in the market.”[7] On 24 August 2008, a clash occurred between foot patrol agents and female merchants, which escalated into a “massive protest rally”. It was reported that the Chongjin local government-issued verbal instructions relaxing the enforcement activity until the time of the next grain ration.[7]
Chongjin is one of the DPRK’s important steel and fiber industry centers. It has a shipyard, a locomotive plant, and a rubber factory. Near the port area are the Chongjin Steel Co., Chemical Textile Co., May 10 Coal Mine Machinery Factory, and Kimchaek Iron & Steel (which was called Nippon Steel during the Japanese occupation);[2] however industrial activities in the city have been severely handicapped due to a lack of resources. Despite this, however, Chongjin is estimated to have a 24 percent share of the DPRK’s foreign trade and is home to a resident Chinese consul who serves Chinese merchants and businesspersons operating in the northeast of the country.[12] Chongjin also contains Sunam Market, an example of market economics in North Korea.[13]
Because of the heavy concentration of industries in the area, Chongjin is also the DPRK’s air pollution black spot.[citation needed] With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent shortage of oil to generate electricity, many factories have been shuttered. One of the first senior U.N. officials permitted to visit the area, Tun Myat, observed in 1997 when the North Korea economic crisis reached its peak, “Chongjin was like a forest of scrap metal, with huge plants that seem to go on for miles and miles that have been turned into rust buckets. I’ve been all over the world, and I’ve never seen anything quite like this.”[14]
Chongjin Bus Factory, established in 1981, supplies a large number of buses and trolleybuses to Chongjin.[15] It also builds the trams used within Chongjin, including one articulated tram.[16] In recent years, the factory has built more trolleybuses that visually resemble the Chollima-321 of the Trolleybuses in Pyongyang.[17]
The city is powered by the Chongjin Thermal Power Plant. The coal used by the power plant is allegedly mined in Kwan-li-so No.22,[18] although since then the prison has apparently been closed.[19] The plant has an estimated generation capacity of 150 MW.[20]
Other industries[edit]
- Chosun Clothing Factory – makes Vinalon cloth into uniforms
- North Hamgyong Provincial Broadcasting Company
- Majon Deer Company – makes medicine from deer antlers[21]
- Second Metal Construction Company
- Onpho Hot Springs
- Soenggiryong mines – kaolin mine
- North Hamgyong Provincial E-Business Institute[22]
The area has little arable land, so the famine in the 1990s hit the residents of Chongjin particularly hard. During the late 1990s, the city’s residents experienced some of the highest death rates from famine, which might have been as high as 20 percent of the population. By 1995, the local frog population was wiped out due to overhunting.[2]
Prisons[edit]
- In Chongjin political prison camp (Kwan-li-so No. 25), a large prison complex in Susong-dong (northern part of Chongjin), more than 3,000 political prisoners are allegedly forced to manufacture bicycles and other consumer goods.[23]
- Chongori reeducation camp (Kyo-hwa-so No. 12) is located halfway between Chongjin and Hoeryong.[2]
- The Nongpo Detention Center, which was built during the Japanese occupation, is still in use but under new management.[2]
Shipping[edit]
Chongjin’s port has established itself as a critical component of busy international shipping trade with neighbouring parts of Northeast and Southeast Asia. Of DPRK’s eight international shipping ports, Chongjin is thought to be the second most economically important (after Nampho port on the west coast)[24] and serves as a base of trade to Russia and Japan. Chongjin also boasts a seamen’s club which serves to cater for foreign crews as well as a meeting base for North Koreans and foreigners engaged in the shipping trade.[12]
The People’s Republic of China and Russia have set up their consulates in Chongjin. It is unique for a North Korean city to have a foreign consulate. Chongjin is the administrative centre of the North Hamgyong Province.
Transport[edit]
Air[edit]
Orang Airport located in Orang County 40 kilometres from Chongjin is equipped with a 2,500 m (8,200 ft) runway on military and civilian dual purpose air station (CHO). North Korea planned to upgrade an old airport near Hamhung as late as 2003, so that it would have a 4,000 m (13,000 ft) runway, and would act as the nation’s second international airport. However, it is still not completed.
Rail[edit]
The Wonson-Rason Railway and Chongjin-Rason Railway (Pyongra Line) electric railways operated by the Korean State Railway connect Rason and capital Pyongyang.
Urban transit[edit]
Chongjin is the only city in North Korea other than Pyongyang to operate a tram system. These trams are all locally manufactured. It consists of one line built in two phases, phase 1,6 km (3.7 mi), and phase 2,7 km (4.3 mi).[25] It has a turning loop in Pongchon and Namchongjin, with the depot located in Sabong.
A trolleybus system also operates with 3 lines: Chongam – Yokchon, Hae’an – Sabong and Namchongijn – Ranam.[26]
Education[edit]
Universities and colleges[edit]
There are several state-run higher educational facilities located here, such as:
- Chongjin University of Technology
- Chongjin Mine University
- Chongjin University of Education No. 1 (Oh Jungheup University)
- University of Education No. 2
- Hambuk University It used to be called Hambuk Agricultural University formerly until 1993.
- Chongjin University of Medicine
- Chongjin College of Light Industry
- Chongjin College of Metal Engineering
- Chongjin College of Automation Engineering
The Kim Jong-suk Teachers’ College, which was named after Kim Jong Il‘s mother, Kim Jong-suk, is in Chongjin.[2]
Schools[edit]
Schools for gifted and talented students include:
- Chongjin No.1 Senior Middle School: One of science high schools for gifted students in North Korea.
- Chongjin School of Foreign Languages
- Chongjin School of Arts
Culture[edit]
There is an aquatic product research center. Famous scenic sites include hot springs and Mt. Chilbo. Chongjin’s most famous product is processed squid. The city is home to the football team, the Ch’ŏngjin Chandongcha.
The local newspaper is the Hambuk Daily.[2]
Chongjin is featured in the book Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick.[2]
Other cultural locations[edit]
- North Hamgyong Province Theater (함경북도 극장)
- Chonmasan Hotel for foreign visitors to stay at, built to convey the power of the government over the individual; in 1997, a French aid worker from Action contre la Faim was allowed to stay there but was not let out of the hotel to observe the famine conditions.[2]
- Pohanng Square has a 25-foot bronze statue and the Revolutionary History Museum
- Inmin Daehakseup Dang (Grand People’s Study House)
- Chongjin Children’s Palace (청진학생소년궁전): Artistic talented students do extracurricular activities here after school.
Sister cities[edit]
Chongjin has two sister cities:
Hoeryŏng (Korean pronunciation: [ɸwe̞.ɾjʌŋ]) is a city in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea. It is located opposite Jilin Province, China, with the Tumen River in between. Sanhe (三合鎮), in Longjing City, is the closest Chinese town across the river. Hoeryŏng is the birthplace of Kim Il Sung‘s first wife and Kim Jong Il‘s mother, Kim Jong Suk.[1] The Hoeryong Revolutionary Site commemorates the birthplace.[2]
The former Hoeryŏng concentration camp (Kwalliso No. 22) was located 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the city.[3]
Hoeryŏng was one of the six posts/garrisons (Chosŏngŭl: 육진, Hanja: 六鎭) established under the order of Sejong the Great of Joseon (1418 – 1450) to safeguard his people from the potentially hostile semi-nomadic Jurchens living north of the Yalu river. In 1952, some territories of Hoeryŏng (then a county), which included myoen of Poŭl and parts of myoens of Yonghung and Pyŏksŏng, were incorporated into the then newly created Yusŏn county.[4] After the 1974 incorporation of Yusŏn county, the Yusŏn region became a up and was renamed as Yusŏn worker’s region.[4] In early May 2007, the newly appointed Prime Minister Kim Yong-il visited Hoeryŏng. At the time, the Prime Minister brought with him on his train one carriage worth of glass (made in South Korea) and 3 carriages worth of cement. After delivering the goods to the People’s Committee of Hoeryŏng he ordered that the city of Hoeryŏng be decorated and adorned as much as a city where Mother Kim Jong Suk’s birthplace should be.
Hoeryŏng’s main industries are mining machines and a paper mill. The area contains many mines. According to media reports, in 2017 ordinary residents in Hoeryong receive electricity for 3–4 hours per day.[5] However, many people do not have electricity at all.
It is reported that on 24 September 2008 only about 20% of Hoeryŏng’s city residents attended a civilian defence-training programme held in Hoeryŏng City. The other 80% are thought to have stayed home or tended to private patch fields. As punishment, authorities from the Civilian Defence ordered non-attendees to pay KP₩5,000, however this fine was largely ignored.[6]
On 29 August 2016, as the result of Typhoon Lionrock, the Tumen River flooded, making many of the residents homeless and causing substantial property damage.[7] The displaced residents moved to China.
Hwadae County (Korean: 화대군) is a county in southern North Hamgyong province, North Korea, with an area of about 460 km2 and a population of approximately 70,000. It adjoins the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea) on the east and south. By land, it adjoins Kimchaek and Kilchu to the west, and Myŏngch’ŏn to the north. The county was formed from parts of Kilchu and Myŏngch’ŏn in the 1950s, as part of a general reorganization of local government. Administratively, Hwadae is divided into one ŭp and 20 ri.
The southern region is relatively flat, while the inland north is rugged, with mountains of approximately 1,000 meters. The Musudan-ri missile base is located on the coast near its namesake cape, which forms the northern end of the East Korea Bay.
In April 2002, Paleolithic fossils of approximately 300,000 years age were reported to have been excavated from a lava bed in Hwadae.[1] Goguryeo-period tombs have also been unearthed in the county.
The country’s first satellite launch facility, Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground, is located in the county.
Myŏnggan County, formerly known as Hwasŏng County, is a kun, or county, in North Hamgyong province, North Korea. Unlike many Korean districts that date from the Joseon Dynasty, Hwasong was created after liberation. Yŏngan was established in 1952, separated from Myŏngch’ŏn. In 1967 Yŏngan was renamed to Myŏnggan, in 1981 to Hwasŏng, and in 2004 to Myŏnggan.
Myŏnggan abuts the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea). Most of the land is rugged, with only one small plain along the Hwasongchon stream. The highest point in the county is Kiunbong. There are no ports, and the coastline is distinctively monotonous.
The chief streams of the county are the Ŏrangch’ŏn (Chosŏn’gŭl: 어랑천, Hancha: 漁郎川) and Myŏngganch’ŏn (Chosŏn’gŭl: 명간천, Hancha: 明澗川). More than 80% of the county is taken up by forestland.
Myŏnggan is known for its pear orchards. In addition, livestock are widely raised. There are also coal mines in the county.
Political Prison Camp No. 16 is a large prison labor colony in the western part of the county.[2]
The area around Kilju was part of the ancient Goguryeo kingdom and was long inhabited by various Jurchen tribes. In 1107 it was annexed by Goryeo, who gave it its current name (meaning “province of good fortune”). After the ascension of Joseon Dynasty, Kilju was promoted to county in 1398, and in 1509 the county was included in the newly formed Hamgyong Province. In 1895, during a reorganization of regional governments, Hamgyong was dissolved and replaced with several small departments; Kilju County was then annexed to the newly formed Kyongsong Department. In 1896 however, the new organization was abandoned, with the departments re-organized into North and South Hamgyong provinces; Kilju was then placed into North Hamgyong, where it remains to this day. During the Japanese occupation, the county was used for manufacturing telecommunications equipment and electric insulation.
In addition to its airport, the county is served by the Pyongra Line railway, which stops at Kilju Chongnyon Station and connects it to Pyongyang and Rason. The city is also linked by road to Hamhung and Chongjin.
Kimch’aek (Korean pronunciation: [kim.tsʰɛk̚]), formerly Sŏngjin (Chosŏn’gŭl: 성진, Hancha: 城津), is a city in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea. It was an open port in 1899.[1] It has a population of 207,699.
The city received its current name in 1951 during the Korean War, in honor of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) general, Kim Chaek.[1] It was known as Jōshin during Japanese rule between 1910 and 1945.
Kimchaek has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb).[2]
Kimchaek is an important port on the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea), and is home to an ironworks and the Kimch’aek Polytechnic Institute.[1]
Kimchaek is on the Pyongra Line railway.
The city has one trolleybus line, with a length of 9.1 km, running from Songnam-dong to Haksong-dong with the depot located in Sinpyong-dong.[7][8]
Wŏlmido Sports Club, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of North Korea,[9] play at the Kimchaek Municipal Stadium, which has a capacity of 30,000. The men’s team plays in the DPR Korea Premier Football League, whilst the women’s team plays in the DPR Korea Women’s League.
To the west and southwest, Kyŏngsŏng is flanked by mountains, while to the east it borders Kyŏngsŏng Bay in the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea). In the coastal area a number of small plains are found, including Kyŏngsŏng Plain. Numerous small streams flow into the Sea of Japan, including the Kwangmoch’ŏn, Segolch’ŏn, Pokkokch’ŏn, and Och’onch’ŏn.
There are also numerous hot springs in the area. Eighty percent of the county is composed of mountain forests, of which 58.9% is evergreen and 39.9% is deciduous.
Due to its location on the Sea of Japan, Kyŏngsŏng’s climate is generally mild, but the region is prone to fog. The annual average temperature is 6.6 °C (43.9 °F), −8.2 °C (17.2 °F) in January and 21.1 °C (70.0 °F) in August. The average annual rainfall is 648 mm (25.5 in) along the coast, but 800 mm (31 in) in the west.
Rice farming is carried out in the eastern region of Kyŏngsŏng. In the orchards, pears are the predominant crop. Small-scale fishing is also carried out.
Tourist attractions include Kyŏngsŏng Castle and Kyŏngsŏng Nammun. In November 2023, the Kyongsong Children’s Camp was inaugurated, geolocated at 41.604950°N 129.580076°E.[1]
- Kyongsong Industrial College (경성공업대학)
- Kyongsong College of Ceramics (경성도자기단과대학)
- Kyongsong Technical School of Medicine (경성의학전문학교)
Musan County is a county in central North Hamgyong province, North Korea. It borders the People’s Republic of China to the north, across the Tumen River. It is divided into one ŭp, six labor districts, and fifteen ri. The county seat is the town of Musan, Musan ŭp. Luguo and Dehua are the closest Chinese cities across the river.
The land of Musan is high and more than 90% is mountainous and uninhabited; much of it lies on the Paekmu Plateau, while the northwest makes up part of the Musan Plateau. The Hamgyong Mountains pass along the county’s northwest flank. Musan is the coldest region in North Hamgyong.
The Musan area has long been known for iron ore mines, lumber, and potatoes. The Musan mine, a major excavator of iron ore, is located here. Because many of the trees have been cut down for fuel, there are few trees left.
Individual farmers in Musan raise cows, chicken, ducks, and rabbits. However, the government prohibits the people from using the cows for beef consumption. The cows are used for work only.
Several railroads cross the county, including the Musan Line and Paengmu Line.
Musan and the surrounding region was greatly affected by flooding in 2016 as the result of Typhoon Lionrock.[1]
Myŏngch’ŏn County is a kun, or county, in North Hamgyong province, North Korea. The county is home to numerous hot springs.
Onsŏng County is a county (kun) in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea, located near the border with China. The administrative center is the town (ŭp) of Onsong. Onsong is the alleged site of the former Onsong concentration camp, now closed.
Onsong was one of the six post/garrisons (Korean: 육진; Hancha: 六鎭) established under the order of Sejong the Great of Joseon (1418–1450) to safeguard his people from the hostile Chinese Ming dynasty and Manchurian/Jurchen nomads living in Manchuria.
Being mountainous in nature, Onsong is not well suited to agriculture. Ironically, however, it has the highest ratio of rice paddies to dry fields of any district in North Hamgyong Province. Logging is prevalent in the Tumen River basin. Lignite coal is also produced.
Onsong is served by roads and railroads. In winter, it is also possible to cross the frozen Tumen River into China.
Onsong has a 4 km long, single overhead bidirectional trolleybus line linking from the railway station to the Wangjaesan Grand Monument, although no trolleybuses are observed on the line since at least 2004. The overhead is nonetheless at least appearing to be in a good condition.[1] The system formerly had two Jipsan 88 trolleybuses, though they were converted from the similar, but unrelated Jipsan 88 bus.[2]
Most of the county is mountainous, being traversed by the Hamgyŏng Range and its outlying spurs. The highest point is Kosŏngsan (Chosŏn’gŭl: 고성산, Hancha: 姑城山), 1,754 meters above sea level. Many other high peaks are also found in the county. The chief stream is the Susŏngch’ŏn (Chosŏn’gŭl: 수성천. Hancha: 輸城川).
90% of the county is forested. Rare mammals inhabit the area, including the marten, brown bear, and Amur leopard. The climate is affected by both maritime and continental influences.
The local economy is dominated by metalworking, mining, and electric power. Deposits of gold, copper, quartzite, and limestone are found in the county. The intermontane valleys are home to grain farms where corn, soybeans, rice, wheat, barley, proso millet, and millet are harvested. Rice fields make up 2% of the county’s area. Sericulture is also practiced.
Puryŏng lies on the Hambuk and Musan lines of the Korean State Railway, and is also served by roads.
Puryŏng was one of the six post/garrisons (Korean: 육진; Hancha: 六鎭) established under the order of Sejong the Great of Chosŏn (1418–1450) to safeguard his people from the hostile Chinese and Manchurian nomads living in Manchuria.
Kyŏngwŏn County is a kun, or county, in North Hamgyong province, North Korea, located at 42°48′41″N 130°11′58″E, formerly known as Saebyŏl. It is bordered by the People’s Republic of China to the north and east, Kyonghung to the southeast, Hoeryong to the southwest, and Onsong to the west.
The western region of Kyongwon is mountainous, while the east is relatively flat. The highest point is Chungsan. The largest river is the Tumen, which flows along the eastern border. Numerous tributaries of the Tumen also flow through the county. Approximately 75% of the county is forested.
Aside from agriculture, livestock raising and sericulture are widespread. The chief local crops are rice, corn, and soybeans. Bituminous coal is also mined.
Railroads passing through Kyongwon include the Hambuk and Kogonwon Lines. It is also connected by Shatuozi Border Road bridge to the Chinese city of Hunchun in the Yanbian autonomous prefecture.
Yŏnsa County is a kun, or county, in North Hamgyŏng province, North Korea. It was created following the division of Korea, being split off from Musan county in the 1952 reorganization of local government.
The land of Yŏnsa is high and mountainous, with even the low-lying areas more than 500 meters above sea level. The county is traversed by the Hamgyŏng Mountains and the Paengmu Plateau. Various streams flow through the county, including the Yŏnmyŏnsu (Chosŏn’gŭl: 연면수, Hancha: 延面水), Kuunsu (Chosŏn’gŭl: 구운수, Hancha: 九雲水), Sudongsu (Chosŏn’gŭl: 수동수), and Sŏdusu (Chosŏn’gŭl: 서두수, Hancha: 西頭水). 84% of the county is forested. The highest point is Kwanmobong (Chosŏn’gŭl: 관모봉, Hancha: 冠帽峰).
Lumbering dominates the economy of Yŏnsa, and there are numerous lumbermills. Wild roots and fruits are also gathered from the mountains.
There is very little agriculture, due to the lack of arable land; the farming that is carried out is chiefly dry-field farming. Yŏnsa is responsible for more than half of North Hamgyŏng’s potato crop. Cultivated land makes up 4.3% of the county’s area.
Yŏnsa lies on the Paengmu Line of the Korean State Railway, and is also served by roads.
Rajin
Rajin is a North Korean ward on Rason in the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea) in the North Pacific Ocean on the northeast tip of North Korea. It is in the Kwanbuk region and location in the south of Rason. North of it lies the North Korea–Russia border.
Rajin Station is the terminus of both the P’yŏngra and Hambuk lines of the Korean State Railway.
The Khasan–Rajin railway was opened in 1959, connecting the port of Rajin with the Russian Khasan on the Tumen River; the river is the natural North Korea–Russia border. The railway had been renewed between 2008-2013. Coal transport from North Korea to Khasan on the renewed line started in summer 2014.[1] As the track was built using four rails both Russian broad gauge as well as Korean standard gauge trains can access the port of Rajin.[2]
A new Russian-North Korean terminal was commissioned in Rajin. Along with cargo transshipment and storage, the terminal makes it possible to organize coal magnetic cleaning and coal separating. Thus, the pilot part of the project aimed at the reconstruction of the Trans-Korean railway from Russia’s Khasan to the seaport of Rajin just over the border.[3]
Sŏnbong-guyŏk,
Formerly called Unggi (Korean: 웅기; Hanja: 雄基), is a subdivision of the North Korean city of Rason. It is located at the northeastern extreme of North Korea, bordering Russia and China. It lies on Unggi Bay, an extension of the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea). A uranium mine is allegedly located there, as is a 200 megawatt oil-fired power plant.[2] The word Sonbong means “Vanguard” in Korean.
The Sonbong Revolutionary Site is dedicated to a visit by Kim Jong-suk in November 1945 “upholding the policy of building a new country advanced by President Kim Il Sung” after the liberation of Korea. It includes the Sonbong Revolutionary Museum, a monument to the historic site, and the house where she stayed.[3]
Sonbong is North Korea’s rail link to Russia. A rail bridge crosses the Tumen River between the border rail stations of Tumangang Workers’ District, Sonbong, and Khasan, Russia. This connection lies on one of two proposed paths for linking South Korea by rail to the Trans-Siberian Railroad and the rest of Eurasia, the other being through Sinuiju. The rail link through Sonbong is lightly used, carrying only 10,000 passengers in 2005.[5]
Sonbong is one terminus of the Hambuk Line railroad. It is also served by roads.
There is a seaport and a wharf at Sonbong Port.[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonbong-guyok
Hyesan, Ryanggang Province
The North Korean-Chinese border for 32 kilometres (20 mi) east of the mountain is “dry, remote and mountainous, barely patrolled,” making it one of the crossing areas for refugees from North Korea into China, although most, including refugees from Ryanggang itself, prefer to cross over the Tumen River.[2]
Hyesan is a hub of river transportation as well as a product distribution center. It is also the administrative center of Ryanggang Province. As of 2008, the population of the city is 192,680.
Hyesan has lumber processing mills, paper mills and textile mills. Since the North Korean economic crisis that intensified in the mid-1990s, the city has suffered from economic stagnation, and some factories in the city have closed.
Schools in Hyesan include Hyesan High School and Hyesan Girls’ School. Higher education institutions include the Hyesan Medical University, the Hyesan University of Agriculture and Forestry, Kim Jŏng-suk College of Education, the Hyesan College of Light Engineering, and the Hyesan University of Industry.
The countryside near Hyesan has various attractions, including the Kwaegung Pavilion, Naegŏk Hot Spring and Mount Paektu.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyesan
Kapsan County
During Joseon, officials who had fallen into disfavour were often sent into internal exile there. Although the majority of the county’s area is mountainous, the terrain slopes downward toward the center and the Kapsan Basin. The county’s chief stream is the Hochon River (허천강). Cultivation is largely restricted to the basin and river valley. Some 85% of the county’s area is forestland. Due to its location on the Kaema Plateau, Kapsan has a severely cold continental climate.
The chief local industry is agriculture; major crops include rice (raised along the Hochon), as well as potatoes, hops, and honey. The 5.1 Workers’ District (오일로동자구) specializes in hops production; these “5.1 Hops” are exported to other countries. Lumbering also plays a role, thanks to the extensive forests. There are various mineral deposits in the county, including lodes of copper, coal and copper pyrite.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapsan_County
Kimhyŏnggwŏn County
Previously known as Pungsan, it was renamed by Kim Il Sung in 1990. He named it after his uncle, Kim Hyŏng-gwŏn. It is known for its striking scenery and for the Pungsan Dog, a large breed of hunting dog.
There are several hydroelectric power stations in the county. There is also a great deal of dry-field farming; the chief local crops include hops and flax. In addition, potatoes, wheat, soybeans, and barley are grown, and livestock are also raised. In addition, there is some manufacturing and mining, with deposits of gold, nickel, graphite and iron sulfide found in the county.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimhyonggwon_County
Kimhyŏngjik County
Formerly known as Huch’ang County, it was renamed in 1988 in honor of Kim Hyŏng-jik, the leader of the anti-Japanese liberation movement of Korea.
Forestry is the main industry, taking up 50% of the industrial output. The main rivers are used to transport timber. Iron, gold, silver, copper, tungsten, graphite and nickel deposits are found in the county. Agriculture is also practiced with the majority of it in Koup-rodongjagu, Rajung-ri, Yonpo-rodongjagu, Chukchol-ri and Woltal-rodongjagu, while rice paddies are mostly in Kimhyongjik-up, Muchang-ri, Koup-rodongjagu and Rajung-ri, along the Yalu River. Red pepper, corn, beans, potatoes, rice and flax are mainly produced. Sericulture is also practised. Most of corn and rice produced in Ryanggang Province are produced in this county.[4]
There are various schools and healthcare facilities in the county. There is also a children’s palace in the county.
The Huchang Mine No.4 power station started to be built on 25 July 2021 and was completed on 23 September 2021. The completion of the power plant allows the normalization of production at the Huchang Mine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimhyongjik_County
Kim Jong Suk
The Sinpa Revolutionary Site there is associated with Kim Jong Suk’s underground political activities there during the anti-Japanese struggle.
The chief local industry is logging; there is little agriculture, except for some rice cultivation along the Yalu. A certain amount of wheat, maize, soybeans, and potatoes are also produced. There are local deposits of molybdenum, gold, copper, silver, lead, zinc and tungsten. Honeybees and other livestock are also raised. Hydropower is abundant. Food processing dominates local manufacturing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong_Suk_County
P’ungsŏ County
P’ungsŏ Lake, an artificial reservoir, lies in the middle of the county. Some 91% of P’ungsŏ’s area is covered with forestland.
Logging is the chief industry in P’ungsŏ. There is little agriculture, due to the rugged terrain. However, some amounts of maize, potatoes, and wheat are produced on dry-field farms; livestock are also raised. The county is known for the production of bracken fern. The county is home to deposits of gold, lead and zinc.
The county is served by road, but not by rail. The Nŭnggwi River and P’ungsŏ Lake are used to transport raw lumber downstream.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pungso_County
Paegam County
Due to its inland location, the county has a severely cold continental climate. Paegam also has the highest wind speeds of any district in North Korea.
Mining and logging are important local industries. Mineral resources in the county include magnesite, alunite, kaolinite, copper, dolomite, tungsten, lead, zinc, gold and peat. Agriculture also plays a role, although only 4% of the county’s land is cultivated. Local crops include wheat, barley, potatoes and soybeans. Livestock are also raised.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paegam_County
Poch’ŏn County
The county sits atop the Paektu Plateau, with the mountains rising to only a small relative height. The highest peak is Namp’ot’aesan (남포태산). There are numerous streams, of which the chief is the Karimch’ŏn. Some 83% of the county’s area is taken up by forestland. The temperatures are quite cold.
The predominant local industry is logging. There are also deposits of magnetite, alunite, and obsidian. Poch’ŏn’s farms produce potatoes, wheat and barley, among other crops; orchards and livestock farms are also found.
Poch’ŏn is served by the Samjiyŏn and Poch’ŏn (Paektusan Rimch’ŏl) lines of the Korean State Railway, and also by roads.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pochon_County
Samjiyŏn County
Samjiyŏn is situated near Mount Paektu, and tour groups fly to the city’s airport to see the mountain, which holds significance in North Korean mythology. Samjiyon is the least populated city in North Korea
Samjiyŏn has been a holiday resort and destination for two presidents of North Korea. Both Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il have established palaces and compounds in the area, accessed by a specially developed and exclusive railway station for the presidential train.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samjiyon
Samsu County
To the south, it occupies the northern tip of the Kaema Plateau. The southern and western reaches of Samsu abound with mountains. Due to the rugged terrain, transportation is difficult. Due to its high inland location, Samsu enjoys bitterly cold winters.
The chief industries in Samsu are logging and farming. Despite the rugged terrain, rice cultivation is widespread; in addition, slash-and-burn agriculture is practiced in the high fields. Local crops include potatoes, maize, soybeans, oats and rye. The Yalu is used to ship rough logs downstream. There are also local deposits of gold ore.
The Pukbunaeryuk Line of the Korean State Railway serves the county, as do various conventional roads. There are multiple roads going out to Kanggye and Hyesan, but all have checkpoints.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsu_County
Taehongdan County
The Taehongdan Revolutionary Battle Site there commemorates battles waged by Kim Il Sung in the area during the anti-Japanese struggle.
Some 91% of the county’s area is taken up by forestland. Due to its inland location, Taehongdan has a continental climate with cold winters.
Logging is an important local industry. Agriculture is also key, with the county leading the nation in potato production and also producing barley, wheat and soybeans. Livestock are also raised in the county, and there is some manufacturing.
Taehongdan is served by roads, but not by rail.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taehongdan_County
Unhŭng County
The highest of its many peaks is Taegakpong. The chief streams are the Unch’ong River (운총강), Osich’ŏn (오시천) and Taedongch’ŏn (대동천). Some 86% of the county’s area is forested.
There is relatively little agriculture, except for dry-field farms producing potatoes, wheat and soybeans. Logging is the chief industry, with lumber processing the dominant form of manufacturing. There are also mines, extracting the local deposits of copper, iron sulphide, lead, kaolin and tungsten.
Unhŭng is served by road and rail; the Paektusan Ch’ŏngnyŏn Line of the Korean State Railway passes through the county.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unhung_County
Chagang Province (Chagangdo; Korean pronunciation: [tɕa.ɡaŋ.do]) is a province in North Korea; it is bordered by China‘s Jilin and Liaoning provinces to the north, Ryanggang and South Hamgyong to the east, South Pyongan to the south, and North Pyongan to the west. Chagang was formed in 1949, after being demarcated from North Pyongan. The provincial capital is Kanggye. Before 2019, Chagang was the only province of North Korea completely inaccessible to tourists, possibly due to weapons factories and nuclear weapon facilities located there. In 2019 the city of Manpo became accessible to tourists. In May 2018, the province became a “Special Songun (military first) Revolutionary Zone” in relations to concealing the nuclear weapon and weapon’s factories within the province.
Chagang Province is located in the northwestern part of Korea. It is a mountainous province; with the mountainous area amounting to 98 per cent of its total area. The mean height above sea level is 750 meters and the slope of most regions is 15 to 40 degrees.
The province has a distinct continental climate under the influence of the Asian continent. It has very cold and long winters, and brief springs and falls. The climate is characterized by great differences in daily and yearly temperature. In summer, downpours of rain and hail are frequent. Thus thunder and lightning occur frequently.
The province has great mineral wealth, and is North Korea’s main source of lead, zinc, gold, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, antimony, graphite, apatite, alunite, limestone, calcium carbonate, anthracite and iron ores. There are also crystals and valuable gems there.
The province abounds in underground, forest and water resources. Before the Korean War, Chagang province was an isolated land with only two primitive mines, one timber mill and a distillery.
Nowadays, it has power, machine, chemical, light, mining and timber industries. Its total industrial output is 1000 times as much as just before the war.[citation needed]
The majority of North Korea’s underground military industrial facilities are located in Chagang Province,[4] including portions of their weapons of mass destruction program.[5]
Kanggye is the capital city of Chagang Province. One of the main economic timber processing factories of the province, and the country, is located in Kanggye.
Huichon is the most developed city in the province, though. Its development dates back to the Korean War, when it became one of the cities of industrial relocation, as it was isolated and far from the main battlefields.
Nowadays, Huichon has several industries, such as a huge machine tool factory, silk mill and a hard glassware factory. In Huichon there is the main North Korean University of Telecommunications.
Chagang was one of the less developed and isolated provinces in North Korea after liberation in 1945. The terrain made farming difficult and only slash-and-burn farmers tilled mountain plots to eke out a living.
Nowadays, farming activities are mainly linked with livestock activities. One example is Hungju Farm.
The Chagang Province for a while was the only province in North Korea that tourists could not go to. The main reason believed to be why they were not allowed to was due to the province being home to weapons and nuclear weapon factories and sites. Prior to April 2019, the only part that was accessible for tourist in the Chagang Province was the Huichon Hotel.[6]
However, in April 2019, the province was opened to tourist in which they could go to the city of Manpo. The city is located right across the river from China.[7]
The province has been converted into a power base for the country, with the construction of Kanggye Youth Power Station, Unbong Power Station, Jangjagang Power Station and other large hydroelectric power stations.
The province has built since the 90s many small and medium-sized power stations, as a duty of the local authorities. Log-dam, water-course, raft and sluice were among the efficient methods practised in their construction.
Small hydraulic turbines, with a capacity of 2 kW to 70 kW, were developed by local technicians to dramatically increase the generating capacity.
Mount Kumgang
Mount Kumgang (Korean: 금강산; RR: Geumgangsan; MR: Kŭmgangsan; lit. Diamond Mountain) or the Kumgang Mountains is a mountain massif, with a 1,638-metre-high (5,374 ft) peak, in Kangwon-do, North Korea. It is located on the east coast of the country, in Mount Kumgang Tourist Region, formerly part of Kangwŏn Province, and is part of the Taebaek mountain range which runs along the east of the Korean Peninsula. The mountain is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the South Korean city of Sokcho in Gangwon-do.
Mount Kumgang has been known for its scenic beauty since ancient times[1][2][3] and is the subject of many different works of art. Including its spring name, Kŭmgangsan (금강산; 金剛山, Korean pronunciation: [kɯmɡaŋsʰan]), it has many different names for each season, but it is most widely known today in the Korean language as Kŭmgangsan. In summer, it is called Pongraesan (봉래산; 蓬萊山; lit. the place where a spirit dwells); in autumn, Phung’aksan (풍악산; 楓岳山; 楓骨山; lit. great mountain of colored leaves[4]); in winter, Kaegolsan (개골산; 皆骨山; lit. stone bone mountain).
The creation of Mt. Kŭmgang is closely related to the unique climate and distinctive geological activity of the area.[5] Mt. Kŭmgang is a region where rain and snow fall relatively heavily, and the climate varies depending on altitude and even east-west location.[5] The Kŭmgang geological layer is composed of several types of rocks from ancient geological periods.[6] The most widely distributed rocks are granites of two types (mica mixed and stained), with granite-gneissic fertilization zones being formed in some areas.[6] The rocks are transversely oriented and form a joint in various directions, forming unusual terrains and strange rocks, which have been formed as a result of erosion for a long period of crustal activity and weathering, from 10 million years to the present.[5][6]
Mount Kumgang Tourist Region
Starting in 1998, South Korean tourists were allowed to visit Mount Kumgang, initially travelling by cruise ship, and later more commonly by coach. In 2002, the area around the mountain was separated from Kangwŏn Province and organized as a separately-administered Tourist Region. The land route was opened in 2003. A rail link exists on the North Korean side up to the border, but no tracks are laid between Gangneung and the border in South Korea.
In 1998, there were 15,500 tourists in November and December, in 1999 there were 148,000, and in 2000 213,000. In 2001 tourist numbers dropped to 58,000 amidst disagreements over the access over land. As of 2002, almost 500,000 had visited the Mount Kumgang Tourist Region. Tourist numbers then reached about 240,000 a year. In June 2005, Hyundai Asan announced the one millionth South Korean visit to the area.[16]
The Mount Kumgang Tourist Region, developed by Hyundai Asan, was thought to be one way for the North Korean government to earn hard currency. The currency at the resort was neither the South Korean won nor the North Korean won, but the Chinese RMB and US dollar.[17][18] Food and services to South Korean tourists were provided by some North Koreans. But most of the staff in the hotels are Chinese citizens of Korean heritage with Korean language skills.[citation needed] There had been plans to expand the site but as of late 2022 there were reports based on satellite imagery that the resort’s facilities, including a golf course and a floating hotel, were being dismantled pursuant to directives from leader Kim Jong Un.[19]
On the morning of July 11, 2008, a 53-year-old South-Korean tourist was shot and killed while walking on the resort’s beach. Park Wang-ja entered a military area by crossing over a sand dune and was shot twice by North Korean soldiers. North Korea claimed that sentries had no choice but to shoot her because, despite their order to stop, she fled. South Korea demanded an on-the-spot survey, but North Korea declined it, claiming all the facts were clear and all responsibilities were the victim’s and South Korea’s. Due to the shooting, South Korea temporarily suspended all trips to Mount Kumgang.[20]
In March 2010, the DPRK government warned of “extraordinary measures” if the tourism ban were not lifted.[21] On April 23, 2010, the North Korean government seized 5 properties owned by South Korea at the resort, saying that it was done “in compensation for the damage the North side suffered due to the suspension of the tour for a long period.” In seizing the properties, North Korea also alluded to the Baengnyeong incident, showing displeasure with South Korea blaming North Korea for the sinking of the ship.[22]
Since April 2010, North Korea is now permitting companies to run tours from the North Korean side,[23] making it appear increasingly unlikely that tours will be resumed from the South. However, on October 1, 2010, news reports said, “Red Cross officials from the two Koreas agreed Friday to hold reunions for families separated by the Korean War amid mixed signals from North Korea on easing tensions over the sinking of a South Korean warship. One hundred families from each country will attend the meetings from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5 at a hotel and reunion center at the North’s scenic Diamond Mountain resort, Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said.”[citation needed]
As of September 2011, North Korea has begun operating cruises directly from Rason in north-eastern North Korea, to the port in Mount Kumgang, offering visitors the chance to stay in the resorts previously run by the south. Although they are aimed primarily at Chinese guests, western companies are also offering the tours.[24][25]
Cultural significance
Spring view, Autumn view by Jeong Seon
Various Korean artists have revered Kŭmgangsan as a subject for art and poetry since antiquity.[26] Numerous poets and artists who lived during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) made pilgrimages to Kŭmgangsan.[26] Among other well-known works, are the Geumgang jeondo and the Pungaknaesan chongramdo, painted in the 1740s by Jeong Seon.
The division of the Korean peninsula in 1950 resulted in the South Korean people finding themselves unable to visit this beloved mountain for the better part of 50 years.[27] The 155-mile-long (249 km) barbed-wire fence erected as part of the DMZ (Demilitarized zone) separating the two Koreas proved to be an obstacle stronger than any other barrier.[27]
In 1894 the British writer Isabella Bird Bishop referred to it in her travelogue as “Diamond Mountain”.[27]
Kŭmgangsan is the subject of a 1962 South Korean folk song, Longing for Mt. Geumgang. It is also the setting of the 1973 North Korean revolutionary opera The Song of Mount Kumgang, and is a central motif in the South Korea TV drama Saimdang, Memoir of Colors.
Kaesong[a] (UK: /keɪˈsɒŋ/, US: /keɪˈsɔːŋ/; Korean: [kɛsʌ̹ŋ]) is a special city in the southern part of North Korea (formerly in North Hwanghae Province), and the capital of Korea during the Taebong kingdom and subsequent Goryeo dynasty. The city is near the Kaesong Industrial Region close to the border with South Korea and contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. Called Songdo while it was the ancient capital of Goryeo, the city prospered as a trade centre that produced Korean ginseng. Kaesong now functions as North Korea’s light industry centre.
During the Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945, the city was known by the Japanese pronunciation of its name, “Kaijō”.[2] Between 1945 and 1950, Kaesong was part of South Korea and under its control. During the Korean War, North Korea captured the city, and the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement left the city under North Korean control. Due to the city’s proximity to the border with South Korea, Kaesong has hosted cross-border economic exchanges between the two countries as well as the jointly run Kaesong Industrial Region.
As of 2009, the city had a population of 192,578.
History
The earliest archaeological signs of habitation in the Kaesong area date from the Neolithic. Artifacts such as Jeulmun pottery, stone ware, and stone axes have been excavated from Osongsan and Kaesong Nasong, the double-walled fortress of Kaesong. As Kaesong has been occupied by various states throughout centuries, its name has changed. It was in the realm of Mahan confederacy, and was referred to as Busogap during the rule of Goguryeo. Before the strength of Baekje was retreated to the southwest of Jungnyeong, Mungyeong Saejae, and Asan Bay in 475, the area had been a part of Baekje for about 100 years.
However, it became a territory of Silla in 555, the 16th year of Jinheung of Silla‘s reign, and its name was changed to Song’ak-gun during the period. According to the Samguk Sagi, when a castle was built in the site in 694, the third year of Hyoso of Silla‘s reign, Kaesong was referred to as “Song’ak (송악; 松嶽)”. Therefore, it is assumed that the name Song’ak had been used at least before the time.[4]
Goryeo
Silla began to decline in late 9th century, and a period of rival warlords ensued. In 898, Kaesong fell under the hand of Gung Ye, the founder of his short-lived state, Taebong, and then became a part of Goryeo in 919 by its founder, Wang Geon, who was enthroned as Taejo of Goryeo. Taejo established the capital in the south of Song’ak, and incorporated Kaesong into Song’ak under the name of “Gaeju”. In 919, Kaesong became the national capital. In 960, the 11th year of Gwangjong of Goryeo‘s reign, the city was renamed Gaegyeong, and in 995, the 14th year of Seonjong of Goryeo‘s reign, it was elevated to “Gaesong-bu”. The Gaeseong-bu is a combined term of Song’ak-gun, and Gaesong-gun, which is different from the region of the pre-1945 Gaesong-ri, Seo-myeon, Kaepung-gun. In 1010, the first year of Hyeonjong of Goryeo‘s reign, the palace and houses were almost burnt down during the second conflict in the Goryeo–Khitan War, so in 1018, Gaesong-bu was relegated for the “bu” system, and became to govern the three hyeon unites of Jeongju, Deoksu, and Gangeum.[4]
In the late 12th century, there was instability in both the government and the countryside. A slave named Manjǒk (or Manjeok) (만적; 萬積) led a group of slaves who gathered outside Kaesong in 1198. The revolt plot was suppressed by Ch’oe Ch’ung-hŏn.[5] When Yi Song-gye overthrew Goryeo in 1392 and established Joseon as Taejo of Joseon, he moved the Korean capital from Kaesong to Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) in 1394.[4]
20th century
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Kaesong remained a part of Gyeonggi Province until the Korean War. When Korea was partitioned at the 38th parallel after World War II, Kaesong was on the southern side of the line (within South Korea).
However, the battle of Kaesong-Munsan was won by the Korean People’s Army (KPA) in the first days of the Korean War. The city was recaptured by UN Forces on 9 October 1950 during the pursuit of the KPA that followed the successful Inchon landings. UN Forces abandoned the city 16 December 1950 during the withdrawal to the Imjin River following the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army intervention in the war. Kaesong would remain under Chinese/North Korean control until the end of the war.[4]
Ceasefire negotiations began in Kaesong[7] on 10 July 1951, but were moved to Panmunjom, southeast of the city, on 25 October 1951. The Korean Armistice Agreement signed on 27 July 1953 recognised North Korean control over Kaesong making it the only city to change control from South Korea to North Korea as a result of the war. Postwar Kaesong and the part of Kyonggi Province that came to be occupied was organized into “Kaesong Region” (Kaesŏng Chigu; 개성 지구; 開城 地區). In 1957, Kaesong became a “Directly Governed City” (Kaesŏng Chikhalsi; 개성 직할시; 開城 直轄市).
21st century
In 2002, Kaesŏng Industrial Region was formed from part of Kaesong. In 2003, the remaining part of Kaesong (excluding the Industrial Region) became part of North Hwanghae Province. The city is close to the Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea.
In October 2019, Kaesong became a “Special City”.
Landmarks
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Kaesong is home to the World Heritage Site Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong.[21] Koryo Songgyungwan University (Light Industry), Communist University and Art College are located in Kaesong. The Koryo Museum, housed in the city’s old Confucian academy, contains many priceless Goryeo arts and cultural relics (although many are copies, with the originals held in the vaults of the Korean Central History Museum in Pyongyang).
As the former capital of Goryeo, the tombs of almost all of the Goryeo kings are located in the area, though most are not accessible; the heavily reconstructed Tomb of King Wanggon, belonging to the dynasty’s founder, Taejo of Goryeo, is located to the west of the city in Kaepung-gun. Other notable tombs include those of kings Hyejong of Goryeo (the Sollung Royal Tomb), Gyeongjong of Goryeo (Yongrung Royal Tomb), Seongjong of Goryeo (Kangrung Royal Tomb), Hyeonjong of Goryeo (Sollung Royal Tomb), Munjong of Goryeo (Kyongrung Royal Tomb), and Gongmin of Goryeo (Tomb of King Kongmin). Kaesong also contains North Korea’s only two royal tombs dating to the Joseon: the Hurung Royal Tomb, belonging to the dynasty’s second king, Jeongjong of Joseon, and the Cherung Royal Tomb, containing the remains of Queen Sinui, wife of the dynasty’s founder, Yi Songgye (Taejo of Joseon). The two final tombs, despite belonging to members of the Joseon royal family, were excluded from the World Heritage Site Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty because of their location in North Korea.
Cuisine
Since Kaesong was the capital of Goryeo for 487 years, its culinary culture was highly developed. The luxurious style of Kaesong cuisine is frequently compared with Seoul cuisine and Jeolla cuisine.[22] Kaesong cuisine was traditionally treated as part of Gyeonggi cuisine, since Kaesong belonged to Gyeonggi Province until 1950. However, it has been incorporated into the administration of North Korea after the Korean War while Gyeonggi Province is in South Korea. Bossam kimchi (wrapped kimchi), pyeonsu (square-shaped summer mandu),[23] sinseollo (royal casserole), seolleongtang (ox bone soup), chueotang (mudfish soup), joraengi tteokguk (rice cake soup), umegi (tteok covered with syrup), and gyeongdan (ball-shaped tteok) are representative Kaesong dishes. Umegi, also called Kaesong juak, is a holiday food of Kaesong, and known for the delicate style with the sweet and nutty taste. The dish is made by kneading a mixture of rice flour and glutinous rice flour with warm water, by shaping the dough into balls with either one pine nut or jujube, by frying and coating them with syrup.[22][24]
Economy
With its topography, climate and soil, Kaesong has advantageous natural conditions for agricultural productions. The water supply system is established with 18 reservoirs, including Songdo Reservoir, built for agricultural advances and about 150 pumping stations as well as hundreds of dammed pools. The cultivated land accounts for 27% of Kaesong’s area. Rice, maize, soybeans, wheat, and barley are the main crops. Among them, rice production accounts for 60% of the whole grain production, and Kaepung and Panmun are the two primary regions, producing more than 70% of the rice production. In addition, vegetable and fruit cultivation including peach, apple and persimmon, livestock farming, and sericulture are active. Peach is a local specialty of Kaesong, especially white peach, which accounts for more than 25% of the total fruit production. The counties of Kaepung-gun and Panmun-gun are also known for cultivating the quality Korean ginseng called Goryeo Insam.[25]
Kaesong is North Korea’s light industry centre. The urban district is equipped with a jewel processing factory, ginseng processing factory and an embroidery factory.[citation needed] Since the Goryeo period, Kaesong had been a center of handcrafts such as Goryeo ware and commerce while the textile industry has been the primary business along with the production of grocery goods, daily general goods, and ginseng products after the division into the two states. The food processing industry ranks next to the textile business, mainly producing jang (soybean-based condiments), oil, canned foods, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and others. In addition, resin, timber, handicrafts, pottery, shoes, school supplies, musical instruments, and glass are produced. Kaesong has factories for producing agricultural machines and tractor repair.
As of 2002, the city contained the headquarters of the Central Bank of North Korea, with branches also in Kapung and Panmun counties.[25]
North Korea and South Korea jointly operate an industrial complex in the Kaesong Industrial Region.[26] The industrial park, built around 2005, employs over 53,400 North Koreans at over 120 South Korean textile and other labor-intensive factories.[27] In early 2013, approximately 887 South Koreans worked in the complex, which produced an estimated $470 million of goods in 2012,[26][27] and the complex employed a sixth of Kaesong’s working people.[28]
Amid tensions in 2013, the industrial park was temporarily closed.[7] It was closed again in 2016.
Tourism
Kaesong is a major destination for foreign visitors to North Korea. Many Goryeo-era sites are located in Kaesong, including the Kaesong Namdaemun gate, the Songgyungwan Confucian Academy, now the Koryo Museum, and the Sonjuk Bridge and Pyochung Pavilion. Less-known sites include Kwandok Pavilion, the ruined Goryeo-era Manwoldae Palace, Anhwa Temple, Sungyang Hall, Mokchong Hall, and the Kaesong Chomsongdae (개성 첨성대; 開城 瞻星臺) observatory. Located to the west of the city are the tombs of Kings Kongmin and Wanggon; twenty-four km north of Kaesong is Taehungsan Fortress, a Koguryo satellite fortress built to protect Pyongyang. This castle contains the Kwanum and Taehung Temples. The famous Pakyon Falls are located in the area, as well as a large, recently discovered Goryeo-era Buddha carved into the stone on Mt. Chonma. Most tourists to Kaesong are put in the traditional Kaesong Folk Hotel, housed in 19 traditional hanok courtyard houses.
Education
Sungkyunkwan, one kilometer north of Seonjukgyo bridge is a representative traditional educational institution in Kaesong. It was founded in the neighborhood of Gukja-dong with the name Gukjagam (국자감; 國子監) in 992 during the reign of King Seongjong of Goryeo, which ignited Korean Confucianism. Its name was changed to Gukhak (국학; 國學) in the reign of Chungnyeol of Goryeo and was referred to as Seonggyungwan. In 1367, the 16th year of Gongmin of Goryeo‘s reign, the structure was revamped and Yi Saek, and Jeong Mong-ju, Confucian scholars of the time taught there as professors. In 1592, the 25th year of Seonjo of Joseon‘s reign, Kim Yuk reconstructed the institution which was burned down by the Japanese during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598).[4]
The first modern school that appeared in Kaesong was Hanyeong Seowon (한영서원; 韓英書院), or Anglo-Korean School established by Yun Chi-ho in 1906, with the help of American missionaries Mr. Wasson, and Mr. Candler. It obtained authorization as Songdo High School from Governor-General of Korea in 1917, and expanded to the Songdo School Foundation in 1950 with the accreditation for the establishment of Songdo Middle School and Songdo College of Pharmacy, the latter of which produced 40 graduates. However, when the Korean War occurred, the foundation was moved to Incheon, and reconstructed Songdo Middle and High Schools in 1953 which still exist to the present.[4]
By 1950, there were two public high schools: Kaeseong High School (개성중학교; 開城中學校) and Kaeseong Girls’ High School (개성고등여학교; 開城高等女學校) and three private high schools: Songdo High School (송도중학교; 松都中學校), Jeonghwa Girls’ School (정화여학교;貞和女學校) and Hosudon Girls’ School (호수돈여학교; 好壽敦女學校). Like Songdo High School, Jeonghwa and Hosudon Girls’ Schools, with the teachers and most students, evacuated south during the Korean War and their campuses now are located in Seoul and Daejeon respectively.
There were also eight public elementary schools (국민학교) in Kaeseong by 1950, they were the Manwol (만월; 滿月), Donghyun (동현; 銅峴), Seonjuk (선죽; 善竹), Koryo (고려; 高麗), Songdo (송도; 松都), Junggyeong (중경; 中京), Namsan (남산; 南山) and Deokam (덕암; 德岩) elementary schools.
As of 2002, Kaesong had 80 each public elementary schools which scattered in each unit of ri (village), 60 middle-high schools, 3 colleges and 3 universities such as Songdo University of Politics, Kaesong University of Education, and Kaesong Communist University.[29]
Transportation
Kaesong is connected to Pyongyang and other cities by rail and highways. The city’s main railway station is Kaesong Station, which is on the Pyongbu Line.
There was a plan to build a trolleybus line in this city, but it never came to fruition.[30]
Kangwŏn
Kangwŏn was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The province was formed 1395, and derived its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung (or Kangnŭng; 강릉; 江陵) and the provincial capital Wonju (or Wŏnju; 원주; 原州).
In 1895, Kangwŏn was replaced by the Districts of Chuncheon (Chuncheon-bu; 춘천부; 春川府) in the west and Gangneung (Gangneung-bu; 강릉부; 江陵府) in the east. Wonju became part of Chungju District. During 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period in Korea, the province was known as Kōgen-dō.
In 1896, Korea was redivided into thirteen provinces, and the two districts were merged to re-form Kangwŏn Province. Although Wonju rejoined Kangwŏn province, the provincial capital was moved to Chuncheon.
In 1945, Kangwŏn Province (along with the rest of Korea) was divided by the 38th parallel north in 1945 into Soviet and American zones of occupation in the north and south respectively. In 1946, the northern province was expanded to include the North Korean portion of Gyeonggi Province and the area around Wŏnsan in South Hamgyŏng Province. The provincial capital of the North Korean portion of the province was established at Wŏnsan, as Kangwŏn’s traditional capitals Wonju and Chuncheon both were south of the 38th parallel. In 1948, the province became part of the new Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. As a result of the Korean War Armistice Agreement of 1953, the boundary between the North and South Korean portions of the province was shifted northward to the Military Demarcation Line.
In 2002, Mount Kumgang Tourist Region was split off from the rest of the province to form a separately-administered region. However, in January 2024, after asserting unification as impossible and declaring South Korea a hostile state, North Korea announced that they would close the Mount Kumgang International Tourism Administration.
Kangwŏn and Gangwon Provinces are together referred to as the Gwandong region. The region west of the Taebaek Mountains is called Yŏngsŏ, while the region east of the mountains is called Yŏngdong.
In April 2003, the Mt. Chuae Plant Reserve was created.[2] The reserve is 687 hectares and is in Shindong-ri, Sepho County, and Sanyang-ri, Kosan County.[2] Mt. Chuae is 1,528 meters above sea level and is part of the Masingnyong Mountains.[2] The DPRK Nature Conservation Union is trying to preserve mixed forests of pine and broad-leaf trees.[2] The DPRK Cabinet-level decision has banned animal grazing and collecting plant resources and other acts of damaging the environment.[2]
North Hamgyong Province
In critical studies of North Korea, North Hamgyong has a reputation as a neglected and underdeveloped region even by the country’s standards. It was where the 1990s famine hit hardest, and food shortages persist even in the 2020s.[3] The majority of North Korean defectors who live in South Korea came from the province after crossing the relatively shallow Tumen River into China. Therefore, the conditions of the province, which analyst Fyodor Tertitskiy has described as “not only a very grim, but also a very boring place,” tend to be projected onto the whole country, even though they are not representative.
In popular culture
- Cha Ki-seong (played by Kim Joo-hyuk), the main antagonist of the 2017 South Korean action comedy film Confidential Assignment is revealed to be a native of Hoeryong, one of the main cities of North Hamgyong Province.
- One of the main characters of Netflix‘s famous South Korean thriller series Squid Game, Kang Sae-byeok (played by Jung Ho-yeon) is a North Korean defector who is originally from North Hamgyong Province and lived there before defecting with her younger brother Kang Cheol to South Korea.[6]
North Pyongan Province
A western province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former P’yŏng’an Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, then became a province of North Korea. Its capital is Sinŭiju. In 2002, Sinŭiju Special Administrative Region—near the city of Sinuiju—was established as a separately governed Special Administrative Region.
An aerial view of downtown Sinuiju – North Pyongan’s capital
The North Korean Coastguard in Sinuiju
North Hwanghae Province
North Hwanghae is connected to the rest of the country by way of the Pyongbu Railway Line (known in South Korea as the Kyongui Line), which, in theory, runs from Pyongyang to Pusan; however, in reality, the line is cut short by the Korean Demilitarized Zone. It is also served by several large highways, most notably the Pyongyang-Kaesong Motorway.
Education
There are several higher-level educational institutions in North Hwanghae, all government-run. These include the Kye Ung Sang Sariwon University of Agriculture, the Sariwon University of Geology, and the Sariwon Teachers University.
Historic landmarks
North Hwanghae has many historical relics as the site of the Koryo-dynasty capital at Kaesong, a depository for many famous historic relics. The province is also home to the tombs of many of the Koryo monarchs, the most famous being the tombs of kings Taejo and Kongmin, though others are spread throughout Kaesong and Kaepung county. Kaesong also houses the Koguryo-era Taehungsan Fortress, built to protect the kingdom’s capital at Pyongyang and enclosing the famous Kwanum Temple. Nearby to Sariwin is the famous Jongbangsan Fortress, another Koguryo satellite for the defense of Pyongyang. This fortress encompasses the 9th-century Songbulsa Buddhist temple, one of the oldest and most picturesque in the country.
Pyongyang[a] is the capital and largest city of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the “Capital of the Revolution” (혁명의 수도).[8] Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about 109 km (68 mi) upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,288.[9] Pyongyang is a directly administered city (직할시; 直轄市; chikhalsi) with a status equal to that of the North Korean provinces.
Pyongyang is one of the oldest cities in Korea.[10] It was the capital of two ancient Korean kingdoms, Gojoseon and Goguryeo, and served as the secondary capital of Goryeo. Following the establishment of North Korea in 1948, Pyongyang became its de facto capital. The city was again devastated during the Korean War, but was quickly rebuilt after the war with Soviet assistance.
Pyongyang is the political, industrial and transport center of North Korea. It is home to North Korea’s major government institutions, as well as the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea which has its headquarters in the Forbidden City.
Names
The name Pyongyang is borrowed from Korean 평양(平壤) (Pyeong’yang, literally “flat land”), from McCune–Reischauer (MR) romanisation P’yŏngyang, a Sino-Korean word from 平壤. It indicates the geographical feature of the location to have a smooth terrain. In native Korean, the city was called “Buruna (부루나)”[11] or less commonly “Barana (바라나)”[12] which, using the idu system, was the pronunciation of the Chinese characters of “Pyongyang”.[11][12] “Buru (부루)” means “field” whereas “na (나)” means “land”, therefore the meaning of Pyongyang in native Korean would be “Land of the field”.[11]
The city’s other historic names include Ryugyong,[13] Kisong, Hwangsong, Rakrang, Sŏgyong, Sodo, Hogyong, Changan,[14] and Heijō[15][16] (during Japanese rule in Korea). There are several variants.[b][31] During the early 20th century, Pyongyang came to be known among missionaries as being the “Jerusalem of the East”, due to its historical status as a stronghold of Christianity, namely Protestantism, especially during the Pyongyang Revival of 1907.[32][33]
After Kim Il Sung’s death in 1994, some members of Kim Jong Il‘s faction proposed changing the name of Pyongyang to “Kim Il Sung City” (Korean: 김일성시; Hanja: 金日成市), but others suggested that North Korea should begin calling Seoul “Kim Il Sung City” instead and grant Pyongyang the moniker “Kim Jong Il City”. In the end, neither proposal was implemented.[34]
History
Prehistory
In 1955, archaeologists excavated evidence of prehistoric dwellings in a large ancient village in the Pyongyang area, called Kŭmtan-ni, dating to the Jeulmun and Mumun pottery periods.[35] North Koreans associate Pyongyang with the mythological city of “Asadal“, or Wanggeom-seong, the first second millennium BC capital of Gojoseon (“Old Joseon”) according to Korean historiographies beginning with the 13th-century Samgungnyusa.
Historians[who?] deny this claim because earlier Chinese historiographical works such as the Guanzi, Classic of Mountains and Seas, Records of the Grand Historian, and Records of the Three Kingdoms, mention a much later “Joseon”.[citation needed] The connection between the two therefore may have been asserted by North Korea for the use of propaganda.[citation needed] Nevertheless, Pyongyang became a major city in old Joseon.
Historical period
Pyongyang was founded in 1122 BC on the site of the capital of the legendary king Dangun.[10] Wanggeom-seong, which was in the location of Pyongyang, became the capital of Gojoseon from 194 to 108 BC. It fell in the Han conquest of Gojoseon in 108 BC. Emperor Wu of Han ordered four commanderies be set up, with Lelang Commandery in the center and its capital established as “Joseon” (朝鮮縣, 조선현) at the location of Pyongyang. Several archaeological findings from the later, Eastern Han (20–220 AD) period in the Pyeongyang area seems to suggest that Han forces later launched brief incursions around these parts.
The area around the city was called Nanglang during the early Three Kingdoms period. As the capital of Nanglang (낙랑국; 樂浪國),[c] Pyeongyang remained an important commercial and cultural outpost after the Lelang Commandery was destroyed by an expanding Goguryeo in 313.
Goguryeo moved its capital there in 427. According to Christopher Beckwith, Pyongyang is the Sino-Korean reading of the name they gave it in their language: Piarna, or “level land”.[36]
In 668, Pyongyang became the capital of the Protectorate General to Pacify the East established by the Tang dynasty of China. However, by 676, it was taken by Silla, but left on the border between Silla and Balhae. Pyongyang was left abandoned during the Later Silla period, until it was recovered by Wang Geon and decreed as the Western Capital of Goryeo.
During the Imjin War, Pyongyang was captured by the Japanese and held the city wall until they were defeated in the Siege of Pyongyang.[10] Later in the 17th century, it became temporarily occupied during the Qing invasion of Joseon until peace arrangements were made between Korea and Qing China. While the invasions made Koreans suspicious of foreigners, the influence of Christianity began to grow after the country opened itself up to foreigners in the 16th century. Pyongyang became the base of Christian expansion in Korea. By 1880 it had more than 100 churches and more Protestant missionaries than any other Asian city,[10] and was called “the Jerusalem of the East”.[37]
In 1890, the city had 40,000 inhabitants.[38] It was the site of the Battle of Pyongyang during the First Sino-Japanese War, which led to the destruction and depopulation of much of the city.[39] It was the provincial capital of South Pyeongan Province beginning in 1896. During the Japanese colonial rule, Japan tried to develop the city as an industrial center, but faced March First movement in 1919 and severe anti-Japanese socialist movement in 1920s due to economic exploitation.[39][40][41][42] It was called Heijō (with the same Chinese characters 平壤 but read as へいじょう) in Japanese.
In July 1931, the city experienced anti-Chinese riots as a result of the Wanpaoshan Incident and the sensationalized media reports about it which appeared in Imperial Japanese and Korean newspapers.[43] By 1938, Pyongyang had a population of 235,000.[38]
After 1945
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On 25 August 1945, the Soviet 25th Army entered Pyongyang and it became the temporary capital of the Provisional People’s Committee for North Korea. A People’s Committee was already established there, led by veteran Christian nationalist Cho Man-sik.[44] Pyongyang became the de facto capital of North Korea upon its establishment in 1948. At the time, the Pyongyang government aimed to recapture Korea’s official capital, Seoul. Pyongyang was again severely damaged in the Korean War, during which it was briefly occupied by South Korean forces from 19 October to 6 December 1950. The city saw many refugees evacuate when advancing Chinese forces pushed southward towards Pyongyang. UN forces oversaw the evacuation of refugees as they retreated from Pyongyang in December 1950.[45] In 1952, it was the target of the largest aerial raid of the entire war, involving 1,400 UN aircraft.
Already during the war, plans were made to reconstruct the city. On 27 July 1953 – the day the armistice between North Korea and South Korea was signed – The Pyongyang Review wrote: “While streets were in flames, an exhibition showing the general plan of restoration of Pyongyang was held at the Moranbong Underground Theater”, the air raid shelter of the government under Moranbong. “On the way of victory… fireworks which streamed high into the night sky of the capital in a gun salute briefly illuminated the construction plan of the city which would rise soon with a new look”.[46] After the war, the city was quickly rebuilt with assistance from the Soviet Union, and many buildings were built in the style of Stalinist architecture. The plans for the modern city of Pyongyang were first displayed for public viewing in a theatre building. Kim Jung-hee, one of the founding members of the Korean Architects Alliance, who had studied architecture in prewar Japan, was appointed by Kim Il Sung to design the city’s master plan. Moscow Architectural Institute designed the “Pyongyang City Reconstruction and Construction Comprehensive Plan” in 1951, and it was officially adopted in 1953. The transformation into a modern, propaganda-designed city featuring Stalin-style architecture with a Korean-style arrangement (and other modernist architecture that was said to have been greatly influenced by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer) began.[47] The 1972 Constitution officially declared Pyongyang the capital.[48]
The funeral of Kim Il Sung was held in Pyongyang in 1994. Then on 19 July, it concluded with a cortege procession when his corpse moved through the streets with a hearse as people cried out in hysteria while watching the funeral.[49]
In 2001, North Korean authorities began a long-term modernisation programme. The Ministry of Capital City Construction Development was included in the Cabinet in that year. In 2006, Kim Jong Il’s brother-in-law Jang Song Thaek took charge of the ministry.
Throughout the rule of Kim Jong Un a number of residential projects were constructed. In 2012, Changjon Street,[50] a residential project with 2,784 units, was inaugurated in the heart of Pyongyang. 2013 and 2014 residential projects dedicated to scientists were completed in Unha Scientists Street and Wisong Scientists Street with more than 1,000 units each while in 2015 work took place on a residential project in Mirae Scientists Street with 2,584 units. In 2017, in dedication to the 105th birthday of the founder and first leader, Kim Il Sung, 4,804 units were built in the new Ryomyong Street complex. The second decade of the 2000s saw the construction of residential projects in Songhwa Street near the Taedonggang Brewing Company in Sadong District (2022), in Taephyong area in Mangyongdae district, and in the Pothong Riverside Terraced Residential District located at the city center next to the Pothong River on land previously used by the headquarters of the International Taekwon-Do Federation.[51] Kim Jong Un ordered that the residential district be renamed “Kyongru-dong” meaning “beautiful bead terrace”.[52] From the 50s to the 70s the area was the location of the residence of Kim Il Sung and was known as “Mansion No. 5”.[53] Other recent public building projects include the Mansudae People’s Theatre opened in 2012, the Munsu Water Park opened in 2013, and the renovated and expanded Sunan International Airport and Pyongyang Sci-Tech Complex, both completed in 2015,[54] the Samjiyon Orchestra Theater,[55] which was fitted out of the domed Korean People’s Army Circus built in 1964, and the Pyongyang General Hospital, of which construction started in 2020. Additional re-development projects occurred in the area around the Arch of Triumph where the Pyongyang People’s Hospital no. 1 was demolished. Apartment blocks in the area of Inhŭng-dong, in Moranbong-guyok district and in the area of Sinwon-dong in Pothonggang district were demolished[56] in 2018–2019 for the construction of new apartment buildings.[57] Also in 2018 the Youth Park Open-Air Theatre in Sungri Street, used to host political rallies, was rebuilt.[58] In 2021–2022 a major housing project was executed along Songhwa Street in southeast part of the city[59] Hwasong Street in Hwasong district district in northern Pyongyang with high-rises.[60] In 2023 phase two of construction of housing in Hwasong district was launched, on the former territory of the Pyongyang Vegetable Science Institute. In addition, a complex of greenhouse farm and housing was initiated on the former territory of Kangdong Airfield which was demolished in 2019.[61]
On April 2024 the second stage of construction in the Hwasong area was completed in Rimhung Street with 10,000 apartments was marked with an extravagant ceremony.[62]
Pyongyang, alongside Seoul, launched a bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics, but failed to make the joint city candidate list.
Geography
Pyongyang is in the west-central part of North Korea; the city lies on a flat plain about 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of the Korea Bay, an arm of the Yellow Sea. The Taedong River flows southwestward through the city toward the Korea Bay. The Pyongyang plain, where the city is situated, is one of the two large plains on the Western coast of the Korean peninsula, the other being the Chaeryong plain. Both have an area of approximately 500 square kilometers.[63]
Ryanggang
The provincial capital is Hyesan. In South Korean usage, “Ryanggang” is spelled and pronounced as “Yanggang” Korean: 양강도; RR: Yanggang-do, Korean pronunciation: [jaŋ.ɡaŋ.do]).
Along the northern border with China runs the Yalu River and the Tumen River. In between the rivers, and the source of both, is Paektu Mountain, revered by both the Koreans and Manchurians as the mythic origin of each people. The North Korean government claims that Kim Jong-il was born there when his parents were at a Communist anti-Japanese resistance camp at the mountain. The North Korean-Chinese border for 32 kilometres (20 mi) east of the mountain is “dry, remote and mountainous, barely patrolled,” making it one of the crossing areas for refugees from North Korea into China, although most, including refugees from Ryanggang itself, prefer to cross over the Tumen River.
Although all of North Korea is economically depressed after Soviet dissolution, Ryanggang province, along with neighboring North Hamgyong and South Hamgyong provinces, are the poorest, forming North Korea’s “Rust Belt” of industrialized cities with factories now decrepit and failing. The worst hunger of the 1990s famine years occurred in these three provinces, and most refugees into China come from the Rust Belt region.
An explosion and mushroom cloud was reportedly detected in Kimhyŏngjik-gun on 9 September 2004, the 56th anniversary of the creation of North Korea. This was reported a few days later on 12 September.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryanggang_Province
P’yŏngan-namdo
The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Pyongan Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, then became a province of North Korea. Its capital is Pyongsong.
Sinŭiju
Sinŭiju (Korean: 신의주시; MR: Sinŭiju-si; IPA: [ɕinɰidzu ɕi]), is a city in North Korea which faces Dandong, Liaoning, China, across the international border of the Yalu River. It is the capital of North P’yŏngan province. Part of the city is included in the Sinŭiju Special Administrative Region, which was established in 2002 to experiment with introducing a market economy. In recent years, the city, despite lagging behind the development in the capital Pyongyang, has seen a small construction boom[contradictory] and increasing tourism from China.
A park near the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge
Developed as a major settlement during the colonial rule at the terminus of a railway bridge across the Amrok River, Sinuiju is located 11 km (7 miles) south by southwest of Ŭiju, the old city from whose name Sinŭiju (meaning “New Ŭiju”) derives. As an open port, it grew commercially with the logging industry which uses the Amnok River to transport lumber. Additionally, a chemical industry developed after the hydroelectric Sup’ung Dam was built further up the river.
In the course of the Korean War, after being driven from P’yŏngyang, Kim Il Sung and his government temporarily moved its capital to Sinŭiju[3][4] – although as UNC forces approached, the government again moved – this time to Kanggye.[4] Also, the city sustained heavy damage from aerial bombardment as part of the United States Air Force‘s strategic bombing of North Korea; 95 percent of the city was destroyed.[5] However, the city has since been rebuilt.
In 2018, a master plan for the redevelopment of the city was unveiled and shown to Kim Jong Un, which would have featured many high rise buildings and parks, centered around the road leading to the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Ultimately, this plan has yet to be fulfilled, with the only major work completed being the repaving of roads leading to the statues and the red coloured, circular apartment building behind and the Sinuiju Youth Open Air Theatre’s completion, although the industrial areas in the city have seen some reconstruction.[6]
Economy
An important light industry centre in North Korea, Sinŭiju has a plant manufacturing enamelled ironware as well as a textile mill, paper mill and an afforestation factory. Its southwest harbour has a shipyard, although the shipyard’s main function is seemingly to dismantle ships for scrap metal and other usable materials rather than building new ships. The area has recycling plants which recycle a wide range of material, including products that are banned for recycling in China.[7][8][9] The Sinŭiju Cosmetics Factory is located in South Sinŭiju (Namsinŭiju).
Trade with China
A substantial portion of North Korea’s international trade, both legal and illegal, passes through Sinuiju and Dandong, across the Yalu River.[10]
Central market
Since 2002, commercial life has been centred on the Chaeha-dong Market.[11] Based on a satellite image taken on 30 October 2012, the market has been destroyed and is being made into a new park.[11]
Transportation
Sinŭiju can be reached from P’yŏngyang by air, railway and road. It can be reached from Dandong in China by crossing the Amnok River by bridge or boat. Foreign tourists on excursion boats from Dandong are sometimes permitted to approach within a few meters of the city’s coastline, as long as they do not land.[12]
Air
Sinŭiju’s airport has a single turf runway 03/21 measuring 991 metres by 61 metres (3250 feet by 213 feet).[13] Air Koryŏ operates passenger and cargo flights from P’yŏngyang.
Rail
Sinŭiju Ch’ŏngnyŏn Station is the northern terminus of the Korean State Railway‘s P’yŏngŭi Line from P’yŏngyang; the district is also served by several other stations on the P’yŏngŭi line, as well as the Tŏkhyŏn and Paengma lines. It is also connected with the Chinese city of Dandong in Liaoning Province (China) by the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which is 944 m (3,097 ft) long from end to end, and through the Manchuria Railway links up with the Trans-Siberian railway. The factories of the city of Sinŭiju are provided with railway service via the Kang’an Line.
Urban transit
Sinuiju has a trolleybus line that runs from the city centre to the railway station. It was reopened in October 2020 with new trolleybuses derived from the Pyongyang Chollima-321 trolleybus. It formerly had another line running from the Sinuiju Chongnyon Station to Ragwon Machine Complex that closed between 2005 and 2009 with the reconstruction of the highway with a shifted alignment.[14]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinuiju
Rason (formerly Rajin-Sŏnbong; Korean pronunciation: [ɾa.sʌ̹n, ɾa.dʑin.sʰʌ̹n.boŋ]) is a North Korean special city and ice-free port[3] in the Sea of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean on the northeast tip of North Korea. It is in the Kwanbuk region and location of the Rason Special Economic Zone.
In South Korean pronunciation, the initial “R” of the name is pronounced as “N”, (나선, Naseon) as per standard Korean phonology. In 2000, the name was shortened from “Rajin-Sŏnbong” to “Rason”. During the 1930s, the Japanese called it Rashin; at that time, it was an important port at the end of a railroad line. It fell under the control of the Red Army on 14 August 1945.
Before 1991, Rason was used by the Soviet Union as an alternative warm-water port in case Vladivostok was unavailable.[4] The Soviet naval facilities were built starting in 1979.[5] From 1993 to 2004, it was administered separately from North Hamgyŏng as the directly governed city (Chikhalsi) of Rason. Prior to 1993 and from 2004 to 2009, the city had been part of the North Hamgyŏng Province. Since 2010, the city is a “special city“, again breaking from provincial control, but different from its older designation as a directly governed city.[6] What this means in practice is unclear.
Rason borders Hunchun county in Jilin province of China and Khasansky District in Primorsky Krai of Russia.[3] China is making investments in the port as it gives it access to the Sea of Japan.[3][7] In July 2011, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) gave a green light for China’s domestic trade cargo to be shipped via its port of Rajin from northeast to east China.[8] Coal is shipped from nearby Chinese mines to Shanghai.[3] A casino by the sea caters to Chinese visitors.[9]
Rason (2007).
Economy
Foreign Investments
The Rason Emperor Hotel and Casino is a resort and casino in Rason owned by the Emperor Group, a diversified Hong Kong based commercial group.[13]
Oil Refinery
Rajin Oil Refinery is the largest oil refinery in North Korea. Although North Korea itself lacks oil wells, they can and do import oil from other countries to supply their refineries. Large oil tankers are spotted multiple times unloading at the Rajin port.[2]
Mining
Rason has a number of mineral resources within the locality, including coal, iron, magnesite, and clay.[2]
Ship building
Rason is home to No 28 Shipyard Najin, a shipbuilder and supplier to the Korean People’s Navy.
Transport
Rail
Rajin Station is on the Pyongra Line and Hambuk Line. The Hongui Line was opened in 1959, connecting Rason with the Russian Khasan on the Tumen River; the river is the natural North Korea–Russia border.
Road
The Tumen River Bridge connects between Hunchun and Rason.
Sister cites
Hunchun, Jilin, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, People’s Republic of China.[2]
South Hamgyong Province (Korean: 함경남도, Hamgyŏngnamdo; Korean pronunciation: [ham.ɡjʌŋ.nam.do]) is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Hamgyong Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, then became a province of North Korea. Its capital is Hamhung.
Geography
The province is bordered by Ryanggang to the north, North Hamgyong to the northeast, Kangwon to the south, and South Pyongan to the west. To the east of the province is the Sea of Japan.
South Hwanghae Province (Hwanghaenamdo; Korean pronunciation: [ɸwaŋ.ɦɛ.nam.do], lit. “south Yellow Sea province”) is a province in western North Korea. The province was formed in 1954 when the former Hwanghae Province was split into North and South Hwanghae. The provincial capital is Haeju.
Geography[edit]
The province is part of the Haeso region, and is bounded to the west by the Yellow Sea, and to the north and east by North Hwanghae province. Some administrative exclaves of Nampo City in the north of the province exist. The southern border of the province is marked by the Korean Demilitarized Zone with South Korea. The province draws its name from what were the largest cities in Hwanghae, Haeju and Hwangju; the name, which literally means “Yellow Sea” in Korean, also references the Yellow Sea, which forms the province’s western bound.
The coastline of South Hwanghae is dotted by many small islands, many of which are uninhabited. Many of the largest islands, such as Baengnyeong-do are administered by South Korea. The Northern Limit Line, which runs through the region and demarcates a disputed maritime boundary between the north and south, is another frequent subject of contention between the two countries. The largest islands which indisputably belong to North Korea are Kirin-do, Changrin-do, and Sunwi-do.
The province, being not very mountainous, is uniquely suited to farming, and is thus often referred to as the “bread-basket” of North Korea. Much of the land is devoted to farming and thus was not hit as hard as other parts of the country during the Arduous March of the 1990s. Many types of vegetables, fruits, grains, and rice are grown on the region’s plains; Kwail County, which means fruit in Korean, was founded to grow orchards.
Haeju, the provincial capital, is also the largest port in southern North Korea outside of Wonsan. The area is also home to several ancient burial mounds and cultural relics, such as the Kangsosa Buddhist temple, ancient stone pagodas, and a Koryo-era ice house. There are also many Iron Age dolmen and Koguryo tombs in the province, such as Anak Tomb No.3.
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