Nyŏngbyŏn County (in
standard Southern dialect: Yŏngbyŏn) is a county in
North Pyŏngan 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 borders the cities of
Kaechŏn and
Anju, and covers an area of 504 km².
Description
The city was heavily fortified during the 15th century as a result of its strategic position, and during the
Josŏn Dynasty, became a retreat for the aristocratic ''
ryangban'' due to its fantastic scenery. The city's
Yaksan, meaning medicine mountain, was well known for its azaleas; the modern poet
Kim So-wol wrote one of his best-known poems on this subject. Two other mountains, Yaksan-dongdae, east of Yaksan, and Moran Hill are also scenic spots. Nyŏngbyŏn also houses many important relics, including the
Chŏnju and
Soun Buddhist temples, dating from 1345 and 1684 respectively; the
Ryuksung Pavilion, famous for "six scenic views" of Nyŏngbyŏn; and the
Ch'ŏl'ong Castle, built to protect the city during the
Ri Dynasty
The House of Yi, also called the Yi dynasty (also transcribed as the Lee dynasty), was the royal family of the Joseon, Joseon dynasty and later the imperial family of the Korean Empire, descended from the Joseon founder Taejo of Joseon, Yi Seong-g ...
. The south gate of Nyŏngbyŏn, called
Mannomun, is also nearby.
Administrative divisions
Nyŏngbyŏn 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), 1 ''
rodongjagu'' (workers' district) and 26 ''
ri'' (villages):
Economy
The
Nyŏngbyŏn Nuclear Scientific Research Centre, a major component of the North Korean nuclear program, is located here.
Transportation
The
Chŏngnyŏn Pharwŏn 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 ...
passes through Nyŏngbyŏn county.
See also
*
Subdivisions 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 four ...
*
Geography of North Korea
North Korea is located in East Asia in the Northern half of Korea, partially on the Korean Peninsula. It borders three countries: China along the Yalu (Amnok) River, Russia along the Tumen River, and South Korea to the south.
Topography and dra ...
References
* http://www.kcckp.net/ko/periodic/todaykorea/index.php?contents+2960+2007-09+101+15
* http://www.kcckp.net/en/periodic/todaykorea/index.php?contents+3101+2007-11+103+6
External links
Interactive map of Yongbyon siteNorth Korea's nuclear facilities by Google Earth
Counties of North Pyongan
{{NorthKorea-geo-stub