Kyŏnghŭng County is a ''kun'', or county, in
North Hamgyong
North Hamgyong Province (Hamgyŏngbukdo, ) is the northernmost province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Hamgyong Province.
Geography
The province is bordered by China (Jilin) on the north, ...
province,
North Korea. Formerly known as Ŭndŏk County (), from 1977 to 2010.
The county borders the
People's Republic of China to the northeast. With the exception of the southwest, it is dominated by low hills, with occasional plains. The highest point is
Songjinsan (). The dominant river is the
Tumen, which separates the county from China. The level ground along the Tumen is developed, but approximately 80% of the county is forested.
Mining, particularly
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
, is the chief industry in Undok, where
lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...
is found; Undok is the site of the Aoji Coal Mine. In addition, farming and livestock raising are widespread. The chief crops are maize, rice, soybeans, and potatoes. The
Aoji-ri Chemical Complex
The Aoji-ri Chemical Complex is a large industrial complex in Haksong-ri (formerly Aoji-ri), Kyŏnghŭng county, South P'yŏngan province, North Korea, which produces about 51 different products, including methane (35,000 tons per year), ammonia ( ...
is located in the county as well.
Undok lies on the
Hambuk Line and
Hoeam Line
The Hoeam Line is a non-electrified secondary line of the Korean State Railway in Kyŏnghŭng County, North Hamgyŏng province, North Korea, running from Haksong on the Hambuk Line to Obong.Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama n ...
railroads.
History
Under
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
period "Kyunghung", the ancient name of Undok, was one of the six post/garrisons () establish under the order of King
Sejong the Great of Joseon in 1433, to safeguard his people from the hostile Chinese and Manchurian nomads living in
Manchuria
Notable personalities
*Lee Gyung-Rok () the prefect of Kyŏnghŭng ()
Administrative divisions
Kyŏnghŭng County is divided into 1 town ("Ŭp") 12 villages ("Ri") and 3 worker's districts ("Rodongjagu").
See also
*
Geography of North Korea
*
Administrative divisions of North Korea
The administrative divisions of North Korea are organized into three hierarchical levels. These divisions were created in 2002. Many of the units have equivalents in the system of South Korea. At the highest level are nine provinces and fou ...
*
Tumen River Bridge
The Tumen River Bridge () is a bridge over the Tumen River, connecting Hunchun City, Jilin Province, China, with Sonbong County, Rason, North Korea. It was built in 1938 by the Japanese Empire and is long and wide. It is located at Quanhedao wh ...
External links
Location of the four forts and the six posts*
{{coord missing, North Korea
Counties of North Hamgyong