Sinuiju
(2002 pop. 377,000). Sinuiju is the capital of North P'yongan Province and one of North Korea's centers of heavy industry. It is located in the northwestern part of the Korean Peninsula at the mouth of the Yalu (Amnok) River.
The Sinuiju railway was constructed by the Japanese in 1904 for the Russo-Japanese War. It was the last stop on the railway line connecting Pusan with northernmost Korea. The city has a cross-border rail link with China. South and North Korea agreed in June 2000 to reconnect the Kyongui rail link—which was severed during the Korean War (1950–1953)— between Seoul and Sinuiju. It will ultimately be linked to the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Trans-China Railway in an attempt to build an "Iron Silk Road" linking Korea to Europe.
Sinuiju once enjoyed a prosperous wood industry (paper, matches), but since the construction of the Sup'ung Power Station on the Yalu River, timber production has decreased and given way to other industries, such as silk and cosmetics production. Major industries include machinery, chemicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, food, and articles for daily use, as well as marine products (anchovies, squid, and oysters). Agriculture (rice, corn, and beans) is also important. The Sinuiju Chemical Fibre Complex produces staple fiber made from the reed grown on nearby Pidan (Silk) Island.
Further Reading
Lee, Ki-baik. (1984) A New History of Korea. Trans. by Edward W. Wagner and Edward J. Shultz. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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