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Wonsan
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Wonsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwon Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Famous people from Wonsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.
original name of Wonsan was Wonsanjin. It opened as trade port in 1880. In 1914 the Pyongyang-Wonsan railway and the Shenyang-Wonsan railway were opened, after which the city gradually developed into an eastern product distribution center.
Wonsan used to be in South Hamgyong, but when provincial borders were redrawn in 1946, it joined the northern half of Kangwon (which had been split at the 38th parallel north 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 (1395–1895) and Chuncheon (since 1896) both were south of the 38th parallel and south of the Military Demarcation Line that replaced the 38th parallel as a border in 1953.

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Encyclopedia
Wonsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwon Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Famous people from Wonsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.
History
The original name of Wonsan was Wonsanjin. It opened as trade port in 1880. In 1914 the Pyongyang-Wonsan railway and the Shenyang-Wonsan railway were opened, after which the city gradually developed into an eastern product distribution center.
Wonsan used to be in South Hamgyong, but when provincial borders were redrawn in 1946, it joined the northern half of Kangwon (which had been split at the 38th parallel north 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 (1395–1895) and Chuncheon (since 1896) both were south of the 38th parallel and south of the Military Demarcation Line that replaced the 38th parallel as a border in 1953. It was heavily bombed by the United Nations during the Korean War. Chuncheon is still the capital of the southern part of the province (Gangwon-do) 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 (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 of the Mangyongbong-92 ferry, the only direct connection between Japan and North Korea.
Media
The Korean Central Broadcasting Station maintains a 250-kilowatt mediumwave 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.
Sister City
See also
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 amphibious assault ordered by General Douglas MacArthur
- , including one of Kim Jong Il's palaces, a military airfield, and the ferry Mangyongbong-92
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