Ch'ongjin
(2000 est. pop. 1 million). Ch'ongjin is the capital of North Hamgyong Province in North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea). Ch'ongjin is a port city of approximately 275 square kilometers, located on the Sea of Japan (East Sea) about 100 kilometers south of the border between North Korea and Russia. The city became prominent with the establishment of its port in 1908. Ch'ongjin grew in importance with the opening of the Hamgyong rail line connecting Pyongyang and the nearby city of Rajin. Ch'ongjin has been the provincial capital since 1944.
The port of Ch'ongjin accounts for much of the region's commerce. It provides a convenient port for trade between China and Japan. The port is connected by rail to the Musan iron mine, which exports 8 million tons of ore annually. The nearby Rajin-Sonbong Free Trade Zone also benefits from its close proximity to the port.
The region also hosts industries producing metals, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. Ch'ongjin and North Hamgyong Province are also noted for their fisheries. Ch'ongjin is home as well to Ch'ongam Mountain, three hot springs, a fortress dating to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and prehistoric artifacts dating to before 3000 BCE.
Further Reading
Cho, Chung-Kyung, Phyllis Haffner, and Fredric M Kaplan. (1991) The Korea Guidebook. 5th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Storey, Robert, and Alex English. (2001) Korea. 5th ed. Berkeley, CA: Lonely Planet.
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