Hyesan
Encyclopedia
Hyesan is a city in the northern part of the northern Ryanggang province of North Korea
. It is a hub of river transportation as well as a product distribution centre. It is also the administrative centre of Ryanggang Province. As of 2000, the population
of the city is estimated to be 110,000.
(Jilin
province), from which it is separated by the Yalu (Amnok) River
. Changbai
is the closest Chinese city across the river.
It is located in the coldest area of Korea, and recorded a record low temperature of -42 ℃ (-44 ℉) in 1915.
. Residents of the city reputedly wash their clothes in the river because homes have no running water.
First explored in the 1960s, Hyesan Mine produces 10,000 tons of copper
concentrates annually, which is 80% of all North Korean copper, and the North had estimated that it will be able to continue mining copper there for the next forty years. When Gapsan Dongjum Mine, explored during the Japanese colonial period, was finally depleted and closed in 1990, Hyesan Mine became the lifeline of the nation’s copper production. At that time, the mine flooded because the pumping device stopped operating due to the lack of electricity across the country. Although the workers at the mine did their best to pump the water, they could not stop the water flowing into the mine at a speed of 480㎥/hour. In 1996, during the North's 'Arduous March
', electricity was not provided to the mine, leading to flooding in the mineshafts in January 1997. Hyesan Mine flooded again, as did other mines throughout the country, and lost all mining facilities. Since 1998, Kim Jong Il has budgeted 8.2 million USD to dewater the mine
, and the mine was recovered using electricity and equipment provided by China
.
The countryside near Hyesan has various attractions, including the Kwaegung Pavilion, Naegok Hot Spring and Mount Baekdu.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. It is a hub of river transportation as well as a product distribution centre. It is also the administrative centre of Ryanggang Province. As of 2000, the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of the city is estimated to be 110,000.
Geography
The city is located in the Paektu Mountains at the border with the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(Jilin
Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
province), from which it is separated by the Yalu (Amnok) River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
. Changbai
Changbai Korean Autonomous County
Changbai Korean Autonomous County, or simply Changbai County, is a county in southern Jilin province of Northeast China, facing Hyesan, North Korea...
is the closest Chinese city across the river.
It is located in the coldest area of Korea, and recorded a record low temperature of -42 ℃ (-44 ℉) in 1915.
Economy
Hyesan has lumber processing mills, paper mills and textile mills. Since the North Korean economic crisis that intensified in the mid-1990s the city has suffered from economic stagnation and some factories in the city are closed. Reports and pictures taken from the Chinese side of the river show a "Ghost City": there is almost no movement in the streets and in the night the city is dark and doesn't have electricityElectricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. Residents of the city reputedly wash their clothes in the river because homes have no running water.
First explored in the 1960s, Hyesan Mine produces 10,000 tons of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
concentrates annually, which is 80% of all North Korean copper, and the North had estimated that it will be able to continue mining copper there for the next forty years. When Gapsan Dongjum Mine, explored during the Japanese colonial period, was finally depleted and closed in 1990, Hyesan Mine became the lifeline of the nation’s copper production. At that time, the mine flooded because the pumping device stopped operating due to the lack of electricity across the country. Although the workers at the mine did their best to pump the water, they could not stop the water flowing into the mine at a speed of 480㎥/hour. In 1996, during the North's 'Arduous March
North Korean famine
'The North Korean famine was a famine in North Korea which began in the early 1990s...
', electricity was not provided to the mine, leading to flooding in the mineshafts in January 1997. Hyesan Mine flooded again, as did other mines throughout the country, and lost all mining facilities. Since 1998, Kim Jong Il has budgeted 8.2 million USD to dewater the mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, and the mine was recovered using electricity and equipment provided by China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Education
Schools in Hyesan include Hyesan High School and Hyesan Girl's School. Higher education institutions include the Hyesan Мedical University, the Hyesan University of Agriculture and Forestry, Kim Jong Suk College of Education, the Hyesan College of Light Engineering, and the Hyesan University of Industry.The countryside near Hyesan has various attractions, including the Kwaegung Pavilion, Naegok Hot Spring and Mount Baekdu.
External links
- North Korea Uncovered, (North Korea Google Earth) see most of Hyesan's political and industrial infrastructure on Google Earth.
- Maps and satellite images of Hyesan Airfield