T'ongch'ŏn County is a ''kun'', or county, in Kangwŏn province,

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 ...

. It abuts the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

(East Sea of Korea) to the north and east. Famous people from T'ongch'ŏn include

Hyundai Hyundai is a South Korean industrial conglomerate ("chaebol"), which was restructured into the following groups: * Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested ** Hyundai Mobis, Korean car parts company ** Hyundai ...

Founder Chung Ju-yung, who is believed to have been born there.

History

The region was called Hyuyang county during the reign of King Gwanggaeto. The region became part of Silla during the reign of King Jinheung,

Administrative divisions

T'ongch'ŏn county is divided into 1 ''

ŭp An ''eup'' or ''ŭp'' () is an administrative unit in both North Korea and South Korea similar to the unit of town. In South Korea Along with "Myeon (administrative division), myeon", an "eup" is one of the divisions of a county ("County#Kore ...

'' (town) and 30 '' ri'' (villages):

Physical features

The terrain is mountainous in the west, sloping down to the coastal plains (including the T'ongch'ŏn Plain and Hupkok Plain) in the east. The plains are used for rice cultivation. The area is prone to fog. As elsewhere along the Kangwŏn coast, there are various

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...

Economy

Due to the extensive plains, agriculture is a major local industry; in addition to rice, the county produces barley, wheat, oats, millet, maize, soybeans, and potatoes. Lumbering and fishing also play a role.

Tourism

The region has long been a popular destination due to the proximity of Mount Kŭmgang and, in recent years, tourists from

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

have passed through the area in great numbers.

Transport

;Road A highway runs along the coastline. ;Rail T'ongch'ŏn county is served by T'ongch'ŏn Station and five other stations on the Kŭmgangsan Ch'ŏngnyŏn 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 ...

Notable people from Tongchon County

* Chung Ju-yung,

n entrepreneur, businessman and the founder of

Hyundai Group Hyundai Group (; ) is a South Korean conglomerate founded by Chung Ju-yung. The first company in the group was founded in 1947 as a construction company. With government assistance, Chung and his family members rapidly expanded into various in ...

* Ri Yong-ho,

n vice-marshal *

Ri Chun-hee Ri Chun-hee (also romanized as Ri Chun Hee or Ri Chun Hui ; born 8 July 1943) is a North Korean news presenter for North Korean broadcaster Korean Central Television. She is most notable for her characteristic emotional and sometimes vitriolic t ...

, North Korean broadcaster for Korean Central Television

References

External links

* {{coord missing, North Korea Counties of Kangwon Province (North Korea)