Haeju, South Hwanghae Province, North Korea

🇰🇵 Haeju is a city located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay in North Korea. It is the administrative centre of South Hwanghae Province. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became a strategic port in Sino-Korean trade. Haeju has chemical-related enterprises and a cement factory.

History The area around Haeju is known to have been inhabited since the Neolithic period, as shellmounds, pottery, and stone tools have been found at Ryongdangp'o. During the early Three kingdoms period, it was briefly governed by a small chieftain, when it was known as "Naemihol" (內米忽郡). In 757, however, it was conquered by the Goguryeo kingdom, who later lost it to Silla. It was under the Goryeo dynasty's King T'aejo that it received its current name.

Sohyon Academy (소현서원) was a Confucian academy founded near Haeju by the famous Joseonese scholar Yi I (1536–84) after his retirement. It is situated in Unbyong Valley, a part of Soktamgugok (Nine valleys of pools and rocks).

According to the North Korean government, the North Korean attack on South Korea on 25 June 1950 was a response to a two-day long bombing by the South Koreans and their surprise attacks on Haeju and other places. Early in the morning of 25 June, before the dawn counterattack in the North Korean account, the South Korean Office of Public Information announced that the Southern forces had captured Haeju. The South Korean government later denied capturing the town and blamed the report on an exaggerating officer. Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union proposed that North Korea would be invited to the UN Security Council to present its side of the story. Both proposals were voted down.

Geography Haeju City is located on the westernmost edge of the Korean Peninsula, 60 km north of the Military Demarcation Line and 100 km south of Pyongyang. The city, being not very mountainous, is composed mostly of plains. All the mountains located within the city are under 1,000 m in elevation.

Mountains • Mountain Suyang, 946 m. • Mountain Jangdae, 686 m. • Nam Hill, 122 m.

Administrative divisions Haeju is divided into several urban neighborhoods ("dong") and several rural villages ("ri"): • Changch'un-dong 장춘동 長 春 洞; • Haech'ŏng-dong 해청동 海 清 洞; • Haeun-dong 해운동 海運 洞; • Hakhyŏn-dong 학현동 鶴 峴 洞; • Kuje-dong 구제동 九 齊 洞; • Kwangha-dong 광하동 廣 河 洞; • Kwangsŏk-tong 광석동 廣 石 洞; • Kyŏlsŏng-dong 결성동 結 城 洞; • Namsan-dong 남산동 南 山 洞; • Okkye-dong 옥계동 玉 溪 洞; • Puyong-dong 부용동 芙蓉 洞; • Ryongdang-dong 룡당동 龍 塘 洞; • Saegŏri-dong 새거리동 새거리洞; • Sami-dong 사미동 四 美 洞; • Sansŏng-dong 산성동 山 城 洞; • Sŏae-dong 서애동 西 艾 洞; • Sŏkch'ŏn-dong 석천동 石 川 洞; • Sŏkmi-dong 석미동 石 美 洞; • Sŏnsan-dong 선산동 仙 山 洞; • Sŭngma-dong 승마동 乘 馬 洞; • Taegok-tong 대곡동 大 谷 洞; • Ŭpp'a-dong 읍파동 邑 波 洞; • Yangsa-dong 양사동 養 社 洞; • Yŏnggwang-dong 영광동 榮 光 洞; • Yŏnha-dong 연하동 煙 下 洞; • Chakch'ŏl-li 작천리 鵲 川 里; • Changbang-ri 장방리 長 芳 里; • Singwang-ri 신광리 神 光 里; • Yŏngyang-ri 영양리 迎 陽 里.

Culture and travel Famous tourist attractions in the city centre include Puyong Pavilion, the Haeju Dharani Monument, the Haeju Sokbinggo, and several trees classified as living monuments. Farther out, scenic spots include Suyangsan Falls, the Sokdamgugok scenic area, Suyangsan Fortress and the Sohyon Academy.

Economy Haeju Special Economic Zone was announced in the Second Inter-Korean summit meeting between the South Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun and the North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-Il. It was to be a Special Economic Zone centered on the Haeju port. The zone would have consisted of 16.5 km² of development, and also the expansion of the Haeju port. This project was estimated to cost over US$4.5 billion.

This economic agreement between South Korea and North Korea would have allowed trading across the Northern Limit Line between the ports of Incheon and Haeju, only 110 km apart. Recent military skirmishes make any revival of this deal unlikely for the time being.

Transport Haeju has a military and civilian dual purposes air station (HAE), with a 12/30 runway (Haeju Airport). Haeju also has one of the major economic and military ports in North Korea. It is connected to Sariwŏn via the Hwanghae Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line of the Korean State Railway.

Education Haeju is home to Haeju University of Education, Haeju College of Art, and Kim Je Won Haeju University of Agriculture. Sohyon Academy (소현서원) was a Confucian academy founded by the famous scholar Yi Yulgok (1536–84). It is situated in the Unbyong Valley west of Haeju.

Media The Korean Central Broadcasting Station airs on AM 1080 kHz using a 1.5-megawatt mediumwave transmitter.