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Wonsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea
North Korea

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula....
. It is the capital of Kangwon Province
Kangwon-do (North Korea)

Kangwon is a Administrative divisions of North Korea of North Korea, with its capital at Wonsan. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Kangwon and its South Korean neighbour Gangwon-do formed a single province that excluded Wonsan....
. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Famous people from Wonsan include Kim Ki Nam
Kim Ki Nam

Kim Ki Nam is a North Korean official. He is vice-chairman of the Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, in which capacity he has led numerous visits to the South....
, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Korea

The Workers? Party of Korea is the ruling party of the Democratic People?s Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea. It is also called the Korean Workers' Party ....
.

original name of Wonsan was Wonsanjin. It opened as trade port in 1880. In 1914 the Pyongyang
Pyongyang

Pyongyang is the Capital and largest city of North Korea, located on the Taedong River, at . According to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,388....
-Wonsan railway and the Shenyang
Shenyang

Shenyang , or Mukden , is a sub-provincial city and capital city of Liaoning Provinces of China in Northeast China.Along with its nearby cities, Shenyang is an important industrial center in China, and the transportation and commercial centre of China's northeastern region....
-Wonsan railway were opened, after which the city gradually developed into an eastern product distribution center.

Wonsan used to be in South Hamgyong
South Hamgyong

South Hamgyong is a Administrative divisions of North Korea 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....
, but when provincial borders were redrawn in 1946, it joined the northern half of Kangwon
Kangwon-do (North Korea)

Kangwon is a Administrative divisions of North Korea of North Korea, with its capital at Wonsan. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Kangwon and its South Korean neighbour Gangwon-do formed a single province that excluded Wonsan....
 (which had been split at the 38th parallel north
38th parallel north

The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degree true north of the Earth equator. The 38th parallel north has been especially important in the recent history of Korea....
 into a zone under Soviet control in the north and one of American control in the south in 1945) and became its capital, as Kangwon's traditional capitals Wonju
Wonju

Wonju is a Administrative divisions of South Korea in Gangwon-do province, South Korea. It is now the largest city in the province.Wonju is a city approximately 90 miles east of Seoul....
 (1395–1895) and Chuncheon
Chuncheon

Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon-do Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River ....
 (since 1896) both were south of the 38th parallel and south of the Military Demarcation Line
Military Demarcation Line (Korea)

The Military Demarcation Line, sometimes referred to as the Armistice Line, is the border between North Korea and South Korea. It is not a physical line, like a cement wall or wire entanglement....
 that replaced the 38th parallel as a border in 1953.






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Wonsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea
North Korea

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula....
. It is the capital of Kangwon Province
Kangwon-do (North Korea)

Kangwon is a Administrative divisions of North Korea of North Korea, with its capital at Wonsan. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Kangwon and its South Korean neighbour Gangwon-do formed a single province that excluded Wonsan....
. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Famous people from Wonsan include Kim Ki Nam
Kim Ki Nam

Kim Ki Nam is a North Korean official. He is vice-chairman of the Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, in which capacity he has led numerous visits to the South....
, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Korea

The Workers? Party of Korea is the ruling party of the Democratic People?s Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea. It is also called the Korean Workers' Party ....
.

History

The original name of Wonsan was Wonsanjin. It opened as trade port in 1880. In 1914 the Pyongyang
Pyongyang

Pyongyang is the Capital and largest city of North Korea, located on the Taedong River, at . According to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,388....
-Wonsan railway and the Shenyang
Shenyang

Shenyang , or Mukden , is a sub-provincial city and capital city of Liaoning Provinces of China in Northeast China.Along with its nearby cities, Shenyang is an important industrial center in China, and the transportation and commercial centre of China's northeastern region....
-Wonsan railway were opened, after which the city gradually developed into an eastern product distribution center.

Wonsan used to be in South Hamgyong
South Hamgyong

South Hamgyong is a Administrative divisions of North Korea 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....
, but when provincial borders were redrawn in 1946, it joined the northern half of Kangwon
Kangwon-do (North Korea)

Kangwon is a Administrative divisions of North Korea of North Korea, with its capital at Wonsan. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Kangwon and its South Korean neighbour Gangwon-do formed a single province that excluded Wonsan....
 (which had been split at the 38th parallel north
38th parallel north

The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degree true north of the Earth equator. The 38th parallel north has been especially important in the recent history of Korea....
 into a zone under Soviet control in the north and one of American control in the south in 1945) and became its capital, as Kangwon's traditional capitals Wonju
Wonju

Wonju is a Administrative divisions of South Korea in Gangwon-do province, South Korea. It is now the largest city in the province.Wonju is a city approximately 90 miles east of Seoul....
 (1395–1895) and Chuncheon
Chuncheon

Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon-do Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River ....
 (since 1896) both were south of the 38th parallel and south of the Military Demarcation Line
Military Demarcation Line (Korea)

The Military Demarcation Line, sometimes referred to as the Armistice Line, is the border between North Korea and South Korea. It is not a physical line, like a cement wall or wire entanglement....
 that replaced the 38th parallel as a border in 1953. It was heavily bombed by the United Nations
United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
 during the Korean War
Korean War

The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korea and South Korea regimes, with major hostilities lasting from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953....
. Chuncheon is still the capital of the southern part of the province (Gangwon-do
Gangwon-do (South Korea)

Gangwon-do is a Administrative divisions of South Korea of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwon-do formed a single province....
) which is controlled by South Korea. It has been proposed as a place for free tourism by South Korea.

Currently, Wonsan is a comprehensive harbor industrial city, it is also the administrative centre of Kangwon Province.

Geography

Wonsan's area is . It is located in Kangwon Province, on the westernmost part of the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, bordered by Japan, South Korea, North Korea and Russia. It is referred to in North Korea as the Korea East Sea and in South Korea as the East Sea....
 (East Sea of Korea) and the east end of the Korean peninsula's neck. Mt. Changdok (Changdok-san) and Mt. Naphal (Naphal-san) are located to the west of the city. More than 20 small islands flank Wonsan's immediate coastal area, including Hwangt'o Island and Ryo Island. Wonsan is considered an excellent natural port location.

Kumgang-san is located near Wonsan.

Economy

Wonsan has an aquatic product processing factory, shipyard, chemistry enterprise, and a cement factory.

Transportation

Wonsan is connected to Pyongyang and other North Korean cities by electric railway and a modern highway system. The city has a military and civilian dual purposes air station (WON) and is equipped with 01/19 and 15/33 dual runways, and is also the terminus
Terminal Station

Terminal Station is a 1953 in film English language film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman....
 of the Mangyongbong-92
Mangyongbong-92

The Mangyongbong-92, named after a hill near Pyongyang, is a passenger ferry built in 1992 to celebrate the North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung's 80th birthday....
 ferry
Ferry

A ferry is a form of transport, usually a boat or ship, used to carry passengers and their vehicles across a body of water. Ferries are also used to transport freight and even railroad cars....
, the only direct connection between Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of 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....
 and North Korea.

Media

The Korean Central Broadcasting Station maintains a 250-kilowatt mediumwave
Mediumwave

Medium Wave is a part of the Medium frequency radio band used mainly for AM broadcasting. Some experiments and trials are planned or under way for a digital modulation such as Digital Radio Mondiale ....
 transmitter broadcasting on 882 kHz AM.

Education

Wonsan is home to Songdowon University, Kumgang University, Tonghae University, Jong Jun Thaek University of Economics, Wonsan University of Medicine, Jo Gun Sil University of Engineering, Wonsan First University of Education and Ri Su Dok University.

Tourism


Most of North Korea is not accessible to foreign tourists. However, nearby Songdowon is a famous sea bathing destination for North Koreans, as the water there is exceptionally clear. Pine trees are abundant in the surrounding area, and it has been designated a national sightseeing point.

Songdowon International Children's Union Camp was built beside Songdowon, at , and it still receives teenagers and youth for cultural exchange between North Korea and various foreign countries.

Famous scenic sites near Wonsan: Myongsasimni, Lake Sijung, Chongsokjon and Mt. Kumgang
Kumgangsan

Kumgangsan or Mount Kumgang is the best-known mountain in North Korea. It has a height of 1638 metres and is located on the east coast of the country, in Kumgangsan Tourist Region, formerly part of Kangwon-do Province ....
.

Sister City

  • Vladivostok
    Vladivostok

    File:vladivostokrussia.jpgVladivostok is Russia's largest port types of inhabited localities in Russia on the Pacific Ocean and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai....
    , Russia
    Russia

    Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
    .


See also

  • List of Korea-related topics
    List of Korea-related topics

    This is a list of articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. For help on how to use this list, see the #Introduction below....
  • Geography of North Korea
    Geography of North Korea

    North Korea is located in east Asia on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea shares a border with three states, including People's Republic of China along the Amnok River, Russia along the Duman River, and South Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone....
  • Naval bases of the Korean People's Navy
    Naval bases of the Korean People's Navy

    The Korean People's Navy operates on both coastlines with major and minor bases:...


External links

  • , (North Korea Google Earth) a Google Earth map of Wonsan's cultural, economic, political, military infrastructure, and tourist locations and facilities.
  • – Korean War
    Korean War

    The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korea and South Korea regimes, with major hostilities lasting from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953....
     amphibious assault ordered by General Douglas MacArthur
    Douglas MacArthur

    General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Order of the Bath was an United States General officer, United Nations general and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army....
  • , including one of Kim Jong Il's palaces, a military airfield, and the ferry Mangyongbong-92
    Mangyongbong-92

    The Mangyongbong-92, named after a hill near Pyongyang, is a passenger ferry built in 1992 to celebrate the North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung's 80th birthday....