Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state 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 area between North Korea and South Korea...
. It is the capital of
Kangwŏn ProvinceKangwŏn is a province of North Korea, with its capital at Wŏnsan. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Kangwŏn and its South Korean neighbour Gangwon-do formed a single province that excluded Wŏnsan.-History:...
. The population of the city is estimated to have been 94,003 in 2000. Famous people from Wŏnsan include
Kim Ki NamKim 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. He is also Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, and has served several terms in the Supreme People's Assembly,...
, diplomat and Secretary of the
Workers' PartyThe 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 Wŏnsan was Wŏnsanjin (元山津). It opened as trade port in 1880. In 1914 the
PyongyangPyongyang is the capital of North Korea, located on the Taedong River. According to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,388.The city was split from the South P'yŏngan province in 1946...
-Wŏnsan railway and the
ShenyangShenyang , or Mukden , is a sub-provincial city and capital of Liaoning province 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.The city was also known as Shengjing or...
-Wŏnsan railway were opened, after which the city gradually developed into an eastern product distribution center.
Wŏnsan used to be in
South HamgyongSouth Hamgyŏng is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Hamgyŏng 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
KangwŏnKangwŏn is a province of North Korea, with its capital at Wŏnsan. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Kangwŏn and its South Korean neighbour Gangwon-do formed a single province that excluded Wŏnsan.-History:...
(which had been split at the
38th parallel northThe 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. The 38th parallel north has been especially important in the recent history of Korea.-Geography:...
into a zone under Soviet control in the north and one of American control in the south in 1945) and became its capital, as Kangwŏn's traditional capitals
WonjuWonju is the largest city by population city in Gangwon province, South Korea.Wonju is a city approximately 90 miles east of Seoul. Wonju is home to three major universities which draw many students from Seoul and elsewhere. It was the site of a battle in the Korean War.The city is home to two...
(1395–1895) and
ChuncheonChuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam...
(since 1896) both were south of the 38th parallel and south of the
Military Demarcation LineThe Military Demarcation Line, sometimes referred to as the Armistice Line, is the border between North Korea and South Korea. It was established as the ceasefire line at the end of Korean War hostilities in 1953...
that replaced the 38th parallel as a border in 1953. It was heavily bombed by the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
during the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
. In fact, according to the official US Navy history, Wŏnsan was under continuous siege and bombardment by the American navy from March 1951 until July 27, 1953, making it the longest siege in modern American naval history. By war's end the city was a vast shell.
Currently, Wŏnsan is a comprehensive harbor industrial city and also serves as the administrative centre of Kangwŏn Province.
Geography
Wŏnsan's area is . It is located in Kangwŏn Province, on the westernmost part of the
Sea of JapanThe 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. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure...
(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 Wŏnsan's immediate coastal area, including Hwangt'o Island and Ryo Island. Wŏnsan is considered an excellent natural port location.
Kŭmgang-san is located near Wŏnsan.
Economy
Wŏnsan has an aquatic product processing factory, shipyard, chemistry enterprise, and a cement factory.
Transportation
Wŏnsan is connected to Pyongyang and other North Korean cities by electric railway and 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 of the
Mangyongbong-92The 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. The ferry was built with funds from Chongryon, the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.The ferry makes 20 to 30...
ferryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, the only direct connection between
Japanis 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
mediumwaveMedium Wave is that part of the medium frequency radio band used mainly for AM broadcasting. For Europe the MW band allocated for broadcasting is from 531 kHz - 1611 kHz...
transmitter broadcasting on 882 kHz AM.
Education
Wŏnsan is home to Songdowon University, Kumgang University, Tonghae University, Jong Jun Thaek University of Economics, Wŏnsan University of Medicine, Jo Gun Sil University of Engineering, Wŏnsan 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 Wŏnsan: Myongsasimni, Lake Sijung, Chongsokjon and
Mt. KumgangKŭmgangsan or Mount Kŭmgang is one of the best-known mountains in North Korea. It has a height of 1638 metres and is located on the east coast of the country, in Kŭmgangsan Tourist Region, formerly part of Kangwŏn Province . Kŭmgangsan is part of the Taebaek mountain range which runs along the east...
.
Administrative divisions
Wonsan is divided into 40 administrative districts known as dong, as wells as fifteen villages ("ri"). The largest dong, Haebang, is further divided in two parts for administrative purposes.
- Changch'on-dong
(장촌동/)
- Changdŏk-dong
(장덕동/)
- Changsan-dong
(장산동/)
- Chŏkch'ŏn-dong
(적천동/)
- Chŏnjin-dong
(전진동/)
- Chungch'ŏng-dong
(중청동/)
- Haean-dong
(해안동/)
- Haebang-dong
(해방동/)
- Kaesŏn-dong
(개선동/)
- Kalma-dong
(갈마동/
- Kwangsŏk-dong
(광석동/)
- Kwanp'ung-dong
(관풍동/)
- Myŏngsŏk-dong
(명석동/)
- Naewŏnsan-dong
(내원산동/) |
Namsan-dong
(남산동/)
Panghasan-dong
(방하산동/)
Pokman-dong
(복막동/)
Pongch'un-dong
(봉춘동/)
Pongsu-dong
(봉수동/)
P'yŏnghwa-dong
(평화동/)
Ryŏdo-dong
(려도동/)
Ryongha-dong
(룡하동/)
Ryul-dong
(률동/)
Sambong-dong
(삼봉동/)
Sang-dong
(상동/)
Segil-dong
Sinhung-dong
(신흥동/)
Sinp'ung-dong
(신풍동/) |
Sinsŏng-dong
(신성동/)
Sŏku-dong
(석우동/)
Songch'ŏn-dong
(송천동/)
Songhŭng-dong
(송흥동/)
Sŭngri-dong
(승리동/
T'ap-dong
(탑동/)
Tŏksŏng-dong
(덕성동/)
Tongmyŏngsan-dong
(동명산동/)
Wau-dong
(와우동/)
Wŏnnam-dong
(원남동/)
Wŏnsok-dong
(원석동/
Yangji-dong
(양지동/)
Changrim-ri
(장림리/)
Ch'ilbong-ri
(칠봉리/) |
Chuksan-ri
(죽산리/)
Chungp'yŏng-ri
(중평리/)
Ch'unsan-ri
(춘산리/)
Hyŏndong-ri
(현동리/)
Namch'ŏn-ri
(남천리/)
Raksu-ri
(락수리/)
Ryongch'ŏn-ri
(룡천리/)
Samtae-ri
(삼태리/)
Sangja-ri
(상자리/)
Sinsŏng-ri
(신성리/)
Sŏkhyŏn-ri
(석현리/)
Susang-ri
(수상리/)
Yŏngsam-ri
(영삼리/) |
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- 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 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
The Korean People's Navy operates on both coastlines with major and minor bases:-Yellow Sea Fleet:* Nampho: Fleet HQ* Pip'a-got:* Sagot: Squadron 8* Ch'o-do: Squadron 9* Tasa-ri-East Sea Fleet:* T'oejo-dong* Rajin* Wonsan* Ch'aho* Ch'angjon* Mayangdo...
External links
- North Korea Uncovered, (North Korea Google Earth) a Google Earth map of Wonsan's cultural, economic, political, military infrastructure, and tourist locations and facilities.
- The Wŏnsan Operation, October 1950 – Korean War
The Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
amphibious assault ordered by General Douglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general, United Nations general, and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and later played a prominent role in the Pacific theater of World War II...
- Google Earth images of Wŏnsan, including one of Kim Jong Il's palaces, a military airfield, and the ferry 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. The ferry was built with funds from Chongryon, the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.The ferry makes 20 to 30...
- http://nk.joins.com/map/view.asp?idx=i141.htm