Haeju

Haeju
해주시
Municipal City
Korean transcription(s)
  Chosŏn'gŭl
  Hancha
  McCune-Reischauer Haeju-si
  Revised Romanization Haeju-si

Views of Haeju
Haeju
Coordinates: 38°3′N 125°43′E / 38.050°N 125.717°E / 38.050; 125.717
Country  North Korea
Area
  Total 206.9 km2 (79.9 sq mi)
Population (2008)
  Total 273,300

Haeju is a city located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay in North Korea. It is the administrative centre of South Hwanghae Province. As of 2000, the population of the city is estimated to be 236,000. At the beginning of 20th century, it became a strategic port in Sino-Korean trade. Haeju has chemical-related enterprises and a cement factory.

History

The area around Haeju is known to have been inhabited since the Neolithic period, as shellmounds, pottery, and stone tools have been found at Ryongdangp'o. During the early Three kingdoms period, it was briefly governed by a small chieftain, when it was known as "Naemihol" (). In 757, however, it was conquered by the Goguryeo kingdom, who later lost it to Silla. It was under the Goryeo dynasty's King T'aejo that it received its current name.

Sohyon Academy (소현서원) was a Confucian academy founded near Haeju by the famous scholar Yi I (1536–84) after his retirement. It is situated in Unbyong Valley, a part of Soktamgugok (Nine valleys of pools and rocks.

According to the North Korean government, the North Korean attack on South Korea on 25 June 1950 was a response to a two-day long bombing by the South Koreans and their surprise attacks on Haeju and other places. Early in the morning of 26 July, the South Korean Office of Public Information announced that the Southern forces had indeed captured Haeju. The South Korean government later denied ever capturing the town and blamed the report on an exaggerating officer. Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union proposed that North Korea would be invited to the UN Security Council to present its side of the story. Both proposals were voted down.[1]

Geography

Haeju City is located at western part of Korean Peninsula, 60 km north of the Military Demarcation Line,100 km south from Pyongyang. This city, being not very mountainous, most part of landforms are composed of plains. All the mountains of this city are under 1,000 m.

Mountains

Climate

Climate data for Haeju
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 11.1
(52)
14.0
(57.2)
20.3
(68.5)
27.1
(80.8)
31.8
(89.2)
33.6
(92.5)
35.3
(95.5)
38.0
(100.4)
34.0
(93.2)
27.8
(82)
23.4
(74.1)
14.5
(58.1)
38.0
(100.4)
Average high °C (°F) −0.4
(31.3)
1.8
(35.2)
7.8
(46)
15.3
(59.5)
20.5
(68.9)
24.8
(76.6)
27.7
(81.9)
28.8
(83.8)
24.8
(76.6)
18.7
(65.7)
11.2
(52.2)
2.2
(36)
15.2
(59.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −4.8
(23.4)
−2.6
(27.3)
2.8
(37)
9.9
(49.8)
15.6
(60.1)
20.0
(68)
23.6
(74.5)
24.7
(76.5)
19.7
(67.5)
13.1
(55.6)
5.7
(42.3)
−1.6
(29.1)
10.5
(50.9)
Average low °C (°F) −8.7
(16.3)
−6.8
(19.8)
−1.0
(30.2)
5.6
(42.1)
11.0
(51.8)
16.1
(61)
21.2
(70.2)
21.8
(71.2)
16.1
(61)
8.9
(48)
2.3
(36.1)
−5.6
(21.9)
6.7
(44.1)
Record low °C (°F) −19.4
(−2.9)
−17.0
(1.4)
−12.8
(9)
−2.7
(27.1)
3.0
(37.4)
9.0
(48.2)
12.2
(54)
14.4
(57.9)
8.0
(46.4)
−5.0
(23)
−12.0
(10.4)
−17.8
(0)
−19.4
(−2.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 15.5
(0.61)
14.9
(0.587)
32.6
(1.283)
67.2
(2.646)
81.4
(3.205)
119.7
(4.713)
344.7
(13.571)
259.7
(10.224)
113.0
(4.449)
38.2
(1.504)
36.2
(1.425)
24.4
(0.961)
1,147.5
(45.177)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 3 2 5 5 6 7 14 10 6 4 6 5 73
Average relative humidity (%) 67 64 63 64 68 76 85 79 71 66 68 70 70
Mean monthly sunshine hours 207.7 211.9 226.3 249.0 260.4 231.0 189.1 217.0 234.0 248.0 195.0 176.7 2,646.1
Mean daily sunshine hours 6.7 7.5 7.3 8.3 8.4 7.7 6.1 7.0 7.8 8.0 6.5 5.7 7.3
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[2]

Administrative divisions

Haeju is divided into several urban neighborhoods ("dong") and several rural villages ("ri").[3]

Chosŏn'gŭl Hancha
Changch'un-dong장춘동
Haech'ŏng-dong해청동
Haeun-dong해운동海運
Hakhyŏn-dong학현동
Kuje-dong구제동
Kwangha-dong광하동
Kwangsŏk-tong광석동
Kyŏlsŏng-dong결성동
Namsan-dong남산동
Okkye-dong옥계동
Puyong-dong부용동芙蓉
Ryongdang-dong룡당동
Saegŏri-dong새거리동거리
Sami-dong사미동
Sansŏng-dong산성동
Sŏae-dong서애동西
Sŏkch'ŏn-dong석천동
Sŏkmi-dong석미동
Sŏnsan-dong선산동
Sŭngma-dong승마동
Taegok-tong대곡동
Ŭpp'a-dong읍파동
Yangsa-dong양사동
Yŏnggwang-dong영광동
Yŏnha-dong연하동
Chakch'ŏl-li작천리
Changbang-ri장방리
Singwang-ri신광리
Yŏngyang-ri영양리

Culture and travel

Famous tourist attractions in the city center include Puyong Pavilion, the Haeju Dharani Monument, the Haeju Sokbinggo, and several trees classified as living monuments. Farther out, scenic spots include Suyangsan Falls, the Sokdamgugok scenic area, Suyangsan Fortress and the Sohyon Academy.

Economy

Haeju Special Economic Zone was announced in the Second Inter-Korean Summit meeting between the South Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. It was to be a Special Economic Zone centered on the Haeju port. The zone would have consisted of 16.5 km2 of development, and also the expansion of the Haeju port. This project was estimated to cost over US$4.5 billion.

This economic agreement between South Korea and North Korea would have allowed trading across the Northern Limit Line[4] between the ports of Incheon and Haeju, only 110 km apart. Recent military skirmishes make any revival of this deal unlikely for the time being.

Transportation

Haeju has a military and civilian dual purposes air station (HAE), with a 12/30 runway (Haeju Airport). Haeju also has one of the major economic and military ports in North Korea. It is connected to Sariwŏn via the Hwanghae Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line of the Korean State Railway.

Education

Haeju is home to Haeju University of Education, Haeju College of Art, and Kim Je Won Haeju University of Agriculture. Sohyon Academy (소현서원) was a Confucian academy founded by the famous scholar Yi Yulgok (1536–84). It is situated in the Unbyong Valley west of Haeju.

Media

The Korean Central Broadcasting Station airs on AM 1080 kHz using a 1.5-megawatt mediumwave transmitter.

People born in Haeju

Haeju is the home of the Haeju Choi and the Haeju Oh Clan.

See also

References

  1. William Blum (2004). Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II. Zed Books Ltd. p. 46-48.
  2. "Klimatafel von Haeju / Korea (Nordkorea)" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  3. http://nk.joins.com/map/view.asp?idx=i104.htm
  4. Rodger Baker (24 November 2010). "Importance of the Koreas' Northern Limit Line". STRATFOR. Retrieved 4 December 2010.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haeju.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Haeju.

Coordinates: 38°02′N 125°43′E / 38.033°N 125.717°E / 38.033; 125.717

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, March 25, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.