Haeju
(2001 est. pop. 260,000). Haeju, the capital of South Hwanghae Province (Hwanghaenamdo), is a port and industrial city on the west coast of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), 140 kilometers south of Pyongyang. The city covers approximately thirty-two square kilometers. The major industries of Haeju are cement manufacturing and chemicals. In addition, the region is emerging as a tourist center because of its historical sites, such as the ancient fort at Suyang Mountain and the 128-meter Suyang waterfall nearby.
Because Haeju is located far to the south (just above 38° N latitude), it has nearly ice-free port conditions throughout the year. For this reason the South Korean companies Hyundai and Samsung plan major joint ventures there.
Haeju is historically significant because it is the birthplace of Kim Gu (1876–1948), a fighter for Korean independence. During the Donghak Rebellion of 1894, Kim led an attack against Japanese soldiers at the fort at Haeju. He was not captured in that attack, but following another the next year, he was imprisoned and tortured in Haeju. Ahn Chung-gun (1879–1910), another independence fighter, was also born in Haeju. Ahn was the assassin of Ito Hirobuni, Japan's resident general over Korea, in 1905.
Further Reading
Korea Overseas Information Service. (1993) A Handbook of Korea. Seoul: Samhwa.
Saccone, Richard. (1993) Koreans to Remember. Seoul: Hollym International.
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