Chongjin
Encyclopedia
Ch'ŏngjin is the capital of North Korea
's North Hamgyŏng Province and the country's third largest city. From 1960 to 1967 and again from 1977 to 1985, Ch'ŏngjin was administered separately from North Hamgyŏng as a Directly Governed City (Chikhalsi). Prior to 1960, from 1967 to 1977, and since 1985, the city has been part of the North Hamgyŏng Province.
Originally Chongjin was only a small fishing village, located in northeastern Korea. In 1908, the Japan
ese, in order to facilitate a sea route for the northeast Chinese
and Korea
n resources, opened this small fishing village as a trade port. In 2003, the government of North Korea
formed a northeast Korean trade port here. 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.
in the Sea of Japan
(East Sea of Korea). Chongjin divides into 7 districts: the Central Business District expands to the south, and the coast section is near the lively Sosongchon River mouth. The city is 50 miles from the Chinese border, and its proximity is allowing a growing market of Chinese goods sold on the streets. Outside of the capital Pyongyang
it has one of the largest markets for goods in the country.
, 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; 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 per cent share of the DPRK's foreign trade and is home to a resident Chinese consul who serves Chinese Traders operating in the north east of the country.
Because of the heavy concentration of industries in the area, Chongjin is also the DPRK's air pollution black spot. 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."
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.
In Chongjin Political Prison Camp
, a large prison complex in Susong-dong (northern part of Chongjin), more than 3,000 political prisoners are forced to manufacture bicycles and other consumer goods.
is equipped with a 2 km runway on a 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 km runway, and would act as the nation's second international airport. However, it is still not yet completed.
) electric railways connect Rason and capital Pyongyang
.
to operate a tram system. These trains are all second-hand from Pyongyang. Originally, it was planned to be a 32 km system, but only phase 1 (6 km) and phase 2 (7 km) were completed. Phase 3 (8 km) was not completed due to lack of funds. Also, due to electricity shortages, the trams run infrequently. Besides trams, trolley buses also operate, but these are operated only two hours a day. Private taxis do not exist.
Famous scenic sites include hot springs and Mt. Chilbosan. It also has a zoo, but currently has no animals in it. Chongjin's most famous product is processed squid
. The city is also home to the football
team, the Ch'ŏngjin Chandongcha
.
Chongjin was the subject of an extensive profile by Barbara Demick
of the Los Angeles Times in 2005, and featured heavily in a 2009 book by the same author entitled Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
, which was largely based upon the stories of refugees who had escaped from Chongjin to South Korea
.
. Despite not being reported by the state-run newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun
, eyewitness accounts describe a convoy of approximately three thousand men accompanied by dozens of trucks and tanks gathering close to Ranam station
before leaving the city.
Following this event, it is thought that many residents rumoured that the Army had failed to successfully seize control of Chongjin city in coordination with an assassination of leader Kim Jong-il
in Pyongyang
by fellow plotters. Other sources partially counter these claims citing that Kim Jong-il's interference over financial activities of the Army was the principal cause for the alleged disbandment. It is thought that the 6th Army has been subsequently replaced by the 9th Army from Wonsan
.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
's North Hamgyŏng Province and the country's third largest city. From 1960 to 1967 and again from 1977 to 1985, Ch'ŏngjin was administered separately from North Hamgyŏng as a Directly Governed City (Chikhalsi). Prior to 1960, from 1967 to 1977, and since 1985, the city has been part of the North Hamgyŏng Province.
Administrative divisions
Ch'ŏngjin is divided into 7 wards ("Kuyŏk").- Ch'ŏngam-guyŏk (청암구역; 青岩區域)
- P'ohang-guyŏk (포항구역; 浦港區域)
- Puyun-guyŏk (부윤구역; 富潤區域)
- Ranam-guyŏk (라남구역; 羅南區域)
- Sinam-guyŏk (신암구역; 新岩區域)
- Songp'yŏng-guyŏk (송평구역; 松坪區域)
- Sunam-guyŏk (수남구역; 水南區域)
Originally Chongjin was only a small fishing village, located in northeastern Korea. In 1908, the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese, in order to facilitate a sea route for the northeast Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n resources, opened this small fishing village as a trade port. In 2003, the government of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
formed a northeast Korean trade port here. The People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
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.
Geography
Chongjin is located in the northeast of North Korea, in North Hamgyong Province, near the East Korea BayEast Korea Bay
East Korea Bay is a bay in North Korea and an extension of the Sea of Japan . It is located between the provinces of Hamnam and Kangwon.-See also:*Korean Peninsula*Korea Bay...
in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
(East Sea of Korea). Chongjin divides into 7 districts: the Central Business District expands to the south, and the coast section is near the lively Sosongchon River mouth. The city is 50 miles from the Chinese border, and its proximity is allowing a growing market of Chinese goods sold on the streets. Outside of the capital Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
it has one of the largest markets for goods in the country.
Climate
Economy
Chongjin is one of the DPRK’s important steel and fiber industry centers. It has a shipyardShipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
, locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
plant, and a rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
factory. Near the port area are the Chongjin Steel Co., Chemical Textile Co., May 10 Coal Mine Machinery Factory and Kimchaek Iron & Steel; 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 per cent share of the DPRK's foreign trade and is home to a resident Chinese consul who serves Chinese Traders operating in the north east of the country.
Because of the heavy concentration of industries in the area, Chongjin is also the DPRK's air pollution black spot. 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."
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.
In Chongjin Political Prison Camp
Chongjin concentration camp
Chongjin concentration camp is a labor camp in North Korea for political prisoners. The official name is Kwan-li-so No. 25.-Location:...
, a large prison complex in Susong-dong (northern part of Chongjin), more than 3,000 political prisoners are forced to manufacture bicycles and other consumer goods.
Shipping
Chongjin's port has established itself as a critical componenent 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 second most economically important (after Nampho port on the west coast) 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.Air
Chongjin AirportChongjin Airport
-Facilities:There is one runway in Chongjin Airport, originally 1,200m long, but which was extended to 2,000m. There are plans to further extend the runway to 4,000m to allow it to serve as a second international gateway to North Korea.-See also:...
is equipped with a 2 km runway on a 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 km runway, and would act as the nation's second international airport. However, it is still not yet completed.
Rail
The Wonson-Rason Railway and Chongjin-Rason Railway (Pyongra LinePyongra Line
The Pyongra Line is a railway line in North Korea, running from Pyongyang to Rajin....
) electric railways connect Rason and capital Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
.
Urban transit
Chongjin is the only city in North Korea other than PyongyangPyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
to operate a tram system. These trains are all second-hand from Pyongyang. Originally, it was planned to be a 32 km system, but only phase 1 (6 km) and phase 2 (7 km) were completed. Phase 3 (8 km) was not completed due to lack of funds. Also, due to electricity shortages, the trams run infrequently. Besides trams, trolley buses also operate, but these are operated only two hours a day. Private taxis do not exist.
Culture
There are several state-run higher educational facilities located here: Chongjin University of Technology, Chongjin Mine University, Chongjin University of Education no. 1, University of Education no. 2, Chongjin University of Agriculture, Chongjin University of Medicine and Chongjin University of Light Industry: plus an aquatic product research centre.Famous scenic sites include hot springs and Mt. Chilbosan. It also has a zoo, but currently has no animals in it. Chongjin's most famous product is processed squid
Squid (food)
Squid is a popular food in many parts of the world.In many of the languages around the Mediterranean sea, squid are referred to by a term related to the Italian "calamari" , which in English has become a culinary name for Mediterranean dishes involving squid, especially fried squid...
. The city is also home to the football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, the Ch'ŏngjin Chandongcha
Ch'ongjin Chandongcha
The Chandongcha Sports Club is a North Korean football club based in Chongjin, North Hamgyong. They play in the DPR Korea League, the highest football soccer league in North Korea. The team came in first place in 1989. The team plays at Chandongcha Park.-Achievements:*DPR Korea League: 1...
.
Chongjin was the subject of an extensive profile by Barbara Demick
Barbara Demick
Barbara Demick is an American journalist. She is currently Beijing bureau chief of the Los Angeles Times. She is the author of Logavina Street: Life and Death in a Sarajevo Neighborhood...
of the Los Angeles Times in 2005, and featured heavily in a 2009 book by the same author entitled Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea is a part-novelization of interviews with refugees from Chongjin, North Korea, written by Los Angeles Times journalist Barbara Demick. In 2010 the book was awarded the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction...
, which was largely based upon the stories of refugees who had escaped from Chongjin to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
Civil unrest
Chongjin has played host to at least two incidents of civilian merchant protest between 2008 and 2009:- On March 4, 2008 it is reported that a group of women merchants (of unspecified number) protested in response to tightened market controls. Reports suggest that rising grain prices had initiated the protests which claimed the government was attempting to block "peddling in the market". In response to this protest, the Labor Department of Chongjin City "posted a proclamation allowing peddling in the market".
- On August 24, 2008 a clash occurred between foot patrol agents and female merchants, which turned into a "massive protest rally". It was reported that the Chongjin City issued verbal instructions relaxing the enforcement activity until the time of the next grain ration.
Military coup
Eyewitness accounts claim that in Autumn 1995, the entire 6th Army Corps belonging to the North Korean People's Army, stationed in the centre of Ranam-guyŏk district, abandoned Chongjin city en masse during one overnight period.. Despite not being reported by the state-run newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun
Rodong Sinmun
Rodong Sinmun is a North Korean newspaper and the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, published by the Rodong News Agency. It is the most widely read newspaper in the country...
, eyewitness accounts describe a convoy of approximately three thousand men accompanied by dozens of trucks and tanks gathering close to Ranam station
Ranam Station
Ranam Station is a railway station located in Ranam-guyok, Chongjin, North Korea. It is located on the Pyongra Line, which connects the capital, Pyongyang, to Rason, a major port city.-History:...
before leaving the city.
Following this event, it is thought that many residents rumoured that the Army had failed to successfully seize control of Chongjin city in coordination with an assassination of leader Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
by fellow plotters. Other sources partially counter these claims citing that Kim Jong-il's interference over financial activities of the Army was the principal cause for the alleged disbandment. It is thought that the 6th Army has been subsequently replaced by the 9th Army from Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of cities in North Korea
- Geography of North KoreaGeography of North KoreaNorth Korea is located in east Asia on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea shares a border with three states, including China along the Amnok River, Russia along the Duman River, and South Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone...