Kimhyŏngjik County is a ''kun'' of

Ryanggang Province Ryanggang Province (Ryanggangdo; ko, 량강도, ''Ryanggang-do'', ) is a province in North Korea. The province is bordered by China (Jilin) on the north, North Hamgyong on the east, South Hamgyong on the south, and Chagang on the west. Ryangga ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

. Formerly known as Huch'ang County, it was renamed in 1988 in honour of

Kim Hyŏng-jik Kim Hyong-jik (Korean: 김형직; 10 July 1894 – 5 June 1926) was a Korean independence activist during Japanese rule. He was the father of the North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, the paternal grandfather of Kim Jong-il, and a great-g ...

, the leader of the anti-Japanese liberation movement of Korea. The 2004 Ryanggang explosion occurred at Wŏltal-lodongjagu in this county.

Geography

Kimhyŏngjik is located in the northwestern part of the

Kaema Plateau The Kaema Plateau is a highland in North Korea. It is surrounded by the Rangrim Mountains, the Macheollyeong Mountains and the Bujeollyeong Mountains. Elevation varies between 700 and 2,000 meters and is approximately 40,000 square kilometers. ...

. It borders

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

to the north (

Yalu River The Yalu River, known by Koreans as the Amrok River or Amnok River, is a river on the border between North Korea and China. Together with the Tumen River to its east, and a small portion of Paektu Mountain, the Yalu forms the border between ...

region). Although the south is a plateau region, the

is in the north. The Hŭisaekpong and Rangrim mountain ranges are partly in this county. The highest peak is Hŭisaek-pong. The region bordering on the Yalu River is mainly precipices. The main streams are the

and its tributaries. The county's land area is 93% forested.

Administrative divisions

Kimghyŏngjik county is divided into 1 ''ŭp'' (town), 6 ''rodongjagu'' (workers' districts) and 9 ''ri'' (villages):

Economy

Forestry is the main industry, taking up 50% of the industrial output. The main rivers are used to transport timber. Iron, gold, silver, copper, tungsten, graphite and nickel deposits are found in the county. Agriculture is also practised with the majority of it in Koup-rodongjagu, Rajung-ri, Yonpo-rodongjagu, Chukchol-ri and Woltal-rodongjagu, while rice paddies are mostly in Kimhyongjik-up, Muchang-ri, Koup-rodongjagu and Rajung-ri, along the

. Red pepper, corn, beans, potatoes, rice and flax are mainly produced. Sericulture is also practised. Most of corn and rice produced in Ryanggang Province are produced in this county. There are various schools and healthcare facilities in the county. There is also a children's palace in the county. The Huchang Mine No.4 power station started to be built on 25 July, 2021 and was completed on 23 September, 2021. The completion of the power plant allows the normalisation of production at the Huchang Mine.

Transportation

The Pukbunaeryuk Line of the

Korean State Railway The Korean State Railway (), commonly called the State Rail () is the operating arm of the Ministry of Railways of North Korea and has its headquarters at P'yŏngyang. The current Minister of Railways is Chang Jun Song. History 1945–195 ...

and various roads serve the county. A road from

Sinuiju Sinŭiju (''Sinŭiju-si'', ; known before 1925 in English as Yeng Byen City) is a city in North Korea which faces Dandong, Liaoning, China across the international border of the Yalu River. It is the capital of North P'yŏngan province. Part of ...

to Uam-ri,

Rason Rason (formerly Rajin-Sŏnbong; ) is a North Korean special city and ice-free port in the Sea of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean on the northeast tip of North Korea. It is in the Kwanbuk region and location of the Rason Special Economic Zon ...

and a road from Kimhyonjik-up to

Kanggye Kanggye () is the provincial capital of Chagang, North Korea and has a population of 251,971. Because of its strategic importance, derived from its topography, it has been of military interest from the time of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Hist ...

runs through the county.

External links

References