Haeju[a] (Korean pronunciation: [hɛ.dzu]) 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 2008, the population of the city is estimated to be 273,300. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became a strategic port in Sino-Korean trade. Haeju has chemical-related enterprises and a cement factory.

Haeju
해주시
Korean transcription(s)
 • Chosŏn'gŭl해주시
 • Hancha
 • McCune-ReischauerHaeju-si
 • Revised RomanizationHaeju-si
Clockwise from top: City square in Haeju, Puyong Pavilion, Suyangsan Falls, street in Haeju, Haeju hotel
Map of South Hwanghae showing the location of Haeju
Map of South Hwanghae showing the location of Haeju
Map
Haeju is located in North Korea
Haeju
Haeju
Location within North Korea
Coordinates: 38°3′N 125°43′E / 38.050°N 125.717°E / 38.050; 125.717
CountryNorth Korea
ProvinceSouth Hwanghae
Administrative divisions25 tong, 4 ri
Area
 • Total
206.9 km2 (79.9 sq mi)
Population
 (2008)
 • Total
273,300
 • Dialect
Hwanghae
Time zoneUTC+9 (Pyongyang Time)

History

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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 Joseon dynasty 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 25 June, before the dawn counterattack in the North Korean account, the South Korean Office of Public Information announced that the Southern forces had captured Haeju.[2] The South Korean government later denied 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.[3]

Geography

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Haeju City is located on the westernmost edge of the Korean Peninsula, 60 km north of the Military Demarcation Line and 100 km south of Pyongyang. The city, being not very mountainous, is composed mostly of plains. All the mountains located within the city are under 1,000 m in elevation.

Mountains

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  • Mountain Suyang, 946 m.
  • Mountain Jangdae, 686 m.
  • Nam Hill, 122 m.

Climate

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Haeju has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dwa), with cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers.

Climate data for Haeju (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1957–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12.0
(53.6)
14.7
(58.5)
22.9
(73.2)
27.7
(81.9)
34.5
(94.1)
36.0
(96.8)
36.0
(96.8)
37.2
(99.0)
34.0
(93.2)
29.6
(85.3)
25.0
(77.0)
17.2
(63.0)
37.2
(99.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.6
(34.9)
4.1
(39.4)
9.7
(49.5)
16.3
(61.3)
21.7
(71.1)
25.6
(78.1)
27.3
(81.1)
29.0
(84.2)
25.7
(78.3)
19.7
(67.5)
11.2
(52.2)
3.7
(38.7)
16.3
(61.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) −2.7
(27.1)
−0.4
(31.3)
4.8
(40.6)
11.2
(52.2)
16.7
(62.1)
21.3
(70.3)
24.1
(75.4)
25.3
(77.5)
21.1
(70.0)
14.6
(58.3)
6.8
(44.2)
−0.3
(31.5)
11.9
(53.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −6.6
(20.1)
−4.5
(23.9)
0.5
(32.9)
6.6
(43.9)
12.2
(54.0)
17.6
(63.7)
21.4
(70.5)
22.1
(71.8)
17.0
(62.6)
9.9
(49.8)
2.8
(37.0)
−4.0
(24.8)
7.9
(46.2)
Record low °C (°F) −18.9
(−2.0)
−19.0
(−2.2)
−12.0
(10.4)
−6.1
(21.0)
0.0
(32.0)
2.0
(35.6)
10.9
(51.6)
9.8
(49.6)
2.3
(36.1)
−4.7
(23.5)
−11.1
(12.0)
−18.0
(−0.4)
−19.0
(−2.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 9.6
(0.38)
17.6
(0.69)
27.5
(1.08)
51.4
(2.02)
108.7
(4.28)
108.0
(4.25)
305.2
(12.02)
252.8
(9.95)
96.2
(3.79)
42.6
(1.68)
34.8
(1.37)
15.0
(0.59)
1,069.4
(42.10)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 3.8 3.1 4.0 5.6 7.1 8.0 12.9 10.4 5.5 4.4 5.9 5.2 75.9
Average snowy days 5.5 3.3 1.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 2.1 5.9 18.2
Average relative humidity (%) 65.2 62.4 63.9 64.6 70.6 77.0 85.5 80.9 72.9 68.0 69.6 68.1 70.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 188 184 213 224 235 197 133 188 210 215 164 169 2,320
Source 1: Korea Meteorological Administration[4]
Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun, 1961–1990),[5][6][b] Meteo Climat (extremes)[7]

Administrative divisions

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Haeju is divided into several urban neighborhoods ("dong") and several rural villages ("ri").[8]

Chosŏn'gŭl Hancha
Changch'un-dong 장춘동
Haech'ŏng-dong 해청동
Haeun-dong 해운동 海運
Hakhyŏn-dong 학현동
Kuje-dong 구제동
Kwangha-dong 광하동
Kwangsŏk-tong 광석동
Kyŏlsŏng-dong 결성동
Namsan-dong 남산동
Okkye-dong 옥계동
Puyong-dong 부용동 芙蓉
Ryongdang-dong 룡당동
Saegŏri-dong 새거리동 새거리
Sami-dong 사미동
Sansŏng-dong 산성동
Sŏae-dong 서애동 西
Sŏkch'ŏn-dong 석천동
Sŏkmi-dong 석미동
Sŏnsan-dong 선산동
Sŭngma-dong 승마동
Taegok-tong 대곡동
Ŭpp'a-dong 읍파동
Yangsa-dong 양사동
Yŏnggwang-dong 영광동
Yŏnha-dong 연하동
Chakch'ŏl-li 작천리
Changbang-ri 장방리
Singwang-ri 신광리
Yŏngyang-ri 영양리

Culture and travel

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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

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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 supreme 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.[9][citation needed]

This economic agreement between South Korea and North Korea would have allowed trading across the Northern Limit Line[10] between the ports of Incheon and Haeju, only 110 km apart. Recent military skirmishes[specify] make any revival of this deal unlikely for the time being.

Transportation

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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

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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

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

Sister cities

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People born in Haeju

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

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ In the 19th century, Haeju was sometimes spelled Hai-tsiou.[1]
  2. ^ Station ID for Haeju is 47069 Use this station ID to locate the sunshine duration

Citations

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  1. ^ EB (1878), p. 390.
  2. ^ Keum, Jooseop (2008). "Korean War: The Origin of the Axis of Evil in the Korean Peninsula". In Kim, Sebastian C. H.; Kollontai, Pauline; Hoyland, Greg (eds.). Peace & Reconciliation. Hampshire, UK: Ashgate. p. 110. Cummings
  3. ^ William Blum (2004). Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II. Zed Books Ltd. pp. 46–48.
  4. ^ "30 years report of Meteorological Observations in North Korea (1991 ~ 2020)" (PDF) (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. pp. 223, 333, and 345. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "Station 47069 Haeju". Global station data 1961–1990—Sunshine Duration. Deutscher Wetterdienst. Archived from the original on 2017-10-17. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  7. ^ "Station Haeju" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  8. ^ "중앙일보 - 아시아 첫 인터넷 신문".
  9. ^ Seo, Yang Won (2007-10-09). "해주 개발땐 비용 46억달러ㆍ경제효과 33억달러" [$4.6 billion for Haeju development and $3.3 billion in economic effect.]. 매일경제 (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  10. ^ Rodger Baker (24 November 2010). "Importance of the Koreas' Northern Limit Line". STRATFOR. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  11. ^ "Agreements Signed between DPRK and Ecuador". Korean Central News Agency. 27 April 2008. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017.
  12. ^ "Sister Relations Established between Cities in DPRK and Russia". Korean Central News Agency. 30 September 2012. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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  • Dormels, Rainer. North Korea's Cities: Industrial facilities, internal structures and typification. Jimoondang, 2014. ISBN 978-89-6297-167-5
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38°02′N 125°43′E / 38.033°N 125.717°E / 38.033; 125.717