Ongjin County () is a county in southern

South Hwanghae Province South Hwanghae Province (Hwanghaenamdo; , lit. "south Yellow Sea province") is a province in western North Korea. The province was formed in 1954 when the former Hwanghae Province was split into North and South Hwanghae. The provincial capital i ...

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 borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

. It is located on the Ongjin Peninsula, which projects into the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. Names It is one of four ...

History

The Ongjin Peninsula lies below the 38th parallel, and was therefore in the Southern zone, which became the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. However, the Ongjin Peninsula was isolated from other southern territories, and therefore difficult to defend. Some of the earliest fighting in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

came here as Northern forces took the Ongjin Peninsula. The Armistice Line at the end of the Korean War left Ongjin County in North Korea. The

Five West Sea Islands The Five West Sea Islands (also called the Five Islands of the West Sea or the Northwest Islands) () refers to the five islands in the West Sea (Yellow Sea) administered by Incheon, South Korea. They are Yeonpyeongdo, Baengnyeongdo, Daecheongd ...

were put under

Ongjin County Ongjin County may refer to: * Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea * Ongjin County, South Hwanghae Ongjin County () is a county in southern South Hwanghae Province, North Korea. It is located on the Ongjin Peninsula, which projects into the Yello ...

of South Korea since the Armistice.

Geography

Ongjin County is on the Ongjin Peninsula, with the Yellow Sea to the south and west. The Ongjin Peninsula is further divided into the Kangryŏng Peninsula, the Tongnam Peninsula, and the Ryongch'ŏn Peninsula. Geologically, Ongjin County is composed of coastal Lias. The Ongjin Plain, Kangryŏng Bay, Hwasan Bay, and Taedong Bay are all located here, as is the Ongjin Bay Important Bird Area. The climate is very mild. Ongjin County includes three large islands. a Yonghodo (용호도) sits in the entrance to Kangryŏng Bay, Ch'angrindo (창린도) is outside the entrance to Ongjin Bay, and Kirindo (기린도) lies south of the western end of the Ongjin Peninsula.

Administrative divisions

Ongjin county is divided into 1 '' ŭp'' (town), 3 '' rodongjagu'' (workers' districts) and 24 '' ri'' (villages)

Economy

Rice is the major crop. Wheat, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, and cotton are also grown. The area was once heavily forested, but not much forest land remains. The nearby meeting of warm and cold currents make this a centre of the fishing industry. Gold, silica sand, and marble are also mined. The Ongjin Hot Springs are a popular tourist destination.

Transportation

Ongjin county is served by the Ongjin Line of the

Korean State Railway The Korean State Railway is the operating arm of the Ministry of Railways of North Korea (), commonly called the State Rail () and has its headquarters at Pyongyang, P'yŏngyang. The current Minister of Railways is Chang Jun-song. History 19 ...

References

External links

Military air bases in Ongjin County
{{South Hwanghae Counties of South Hwanghae