Ryongyon
Encyclopedia
Ryongyon is a county in western South Hwanghae province, North Korea
. Its Yellow Sea
coast is known for its natural beauty and as an important habitat for plants and birds. Ryongyon was the first place in which Protestant Christianity
was established in Korea, in the late 19th Century.
Ryongyon is a coastal county of 463 km², facing the Yellow Sea
to the south and northwest. It also borders Changyon
county to the northeast, and Taetan
county to the east. Its territory includes several islands to the south: Wollaedo , Ojakdo (오작도), and Yukdo (육도). Ryongyon is separated from the South Korean Baengnyeong Island
by a strait
12 km wide, and can be clearly seen from South Korean resorts on clear days.
The Pult'a Mountains (불타산맥) run through the county from east to west. The western part of the chain projects into the Yellow Sea
, forming the Ryongyon Peninsula, with Changsan Cape at its western end (장산곶). The territory is mainly mountainous, with beaches and some lowland to the north and south of the mountains. There are two main inlets or harbors: Monggŭmp'o (몽금포) in the north, and Kumip'o (구미포) in the south.
Two of North Korea's protected natural areas lie along the coastal strip. Changsan Cape contains a Protected Area covering 25.8 km²,
and another part of the cape has been established as a
plant reserve.
On the north side of the peninsula is Monggŭmp'o Sand Dune, a national monument of 0.1 km².
and twenty ri. The administrative center and chief town is Ryongyŏn-ŭp.
The first Protestant
Christian church in Korea was founded at Sorae ,
on the southern coast of Ryongyon,
in 1884
- before the beginning of foreign missionary activity in Korea. The church was founded by Seo Sang-ryun (서상륜), who had been converted to Christianity while in Manchuria.
The church was visited and supported by English, Scottish, and American Presbyterian missionaries in the following years, including Horace Underwood. A permanent church building was constructed by the local Christians in 1895.
The territory of Ryongyon County lies just above the 38th parallel
, and was included in the northern zone during the division of Korea
. The nearby Ongjin Peninsula and Baengnyeong Island
fell within the southern zone.
During the Korean War
, the island Wollaedo was used as a base by pro-Southern partisans. This position was regularly bombarded by Northern artillery on the mainland of Cape Changsan. In 1952, a group of "White Tiger"
partisans working together with United States Special Forces
landed on the cape. They successfully took control of and destroyed the artillery site, escaping with
small losses.
It has been reported by a former North Korean army officer that areas of the coast in Ryongyon are still defended by
land mine
s.
The territory of Ryongyon County was previously part of Changyon
County. In 1952, Changyon was split, and the new Ryongyon County was created.
of the 1990s and 2000s, relief agencies have reported
near-starvation conditions in Ryongyon.
Western aid organizations have supported a Ryongyon Sustainable Food Security Programme to bring about "environmentally friendly community development at a group of four collective farms covering
over 7,000 acres."
At an international conference on plans for a proposed Korea-China undersea tunnel, held in Seoul
in 2008, Changsan was one of the locations considered for the terminus on the Korean side. Of the four suggested routes, the Ryongyon-Weihai
line was the shortest, and the only one entering North rather than South Korea.
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...
. Its Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
coast is known for its natural beauty and as an important habitat for plants and birds. Ryongyon was the first place in which Protestant Christianity
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
was established in Korea, in the late 19th Century.
Geography
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
to the south and northwest. It also borders Changyon
Changyon
-Geography:Changyŏn is bordered to the north by Kwail and Songhwa, to the east by Samch'ŏn and T'aet'an, to the sough by Ryongyŏn, and to the west by the Yellow Sea. Most of the land in Changyŏn is composed of flat plains, with mountains forming its borders. The highest point is Mt. Pult'a, at 609...
county to the northeast, and Taetan
Taetan
Taetan is a county in South Hwanghae province, North Korea....
county to the east. Its territory includes several islands to the south: Wollaedo , Ojakdo (오작도), and Yukdo (육도). Ryongyon is separated from the South Korean Baengnyeong Island
Baengnyeong Island
Baengnyeong Island is a island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, located near the Northern Limit Line. The 1953 s:Korean Armistice Agreement which ended the Korean War specified that the five islands including Baengnyeong Island would remain under United Nations Command and South Korea...
by a strait
12 km wide, and can be clearly seen from South Korean resorts on clear days.
The Pult'a Mountains (불타산맥) run through the county from east to west. The western part of the chain projects into the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
, forming the Ryongyon Peninsula, with Changsan Cape at its western end (장산곶). The territory is mainly mountainous, with beaches and some lowland to the north and south of the mountains. There are two main inlets or harbors: Monggŭmp'o (몽금포) in the north, and Kumip'o (구미포) in the south.
Two of North Korea's protected natural areas lie along the coastal strip. Changsan Cape contains a Protected Area covering 25.8 km²,
and another part of the cape has been established as a
plant reserve.
On the north side of the peninsula is Monggŭmp'o Sand Dune, a national monument of 0.1 km².
Administrative Subdivisions
The county is divided into one ŭpAdministrative divisions of North Korea
The administrative divisions of North Korea are organized into three hierarchical levels. Many of the units have equivalents in the system of South Korea. At the highest level are nine provinces, two directly governed cities, and three special administrative divisions. The second-level divisions...
and twenty ri. The administrative center and chief town is Ryongyŏn-ŭp.
History
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Christian church in Korea was founded at Sorae ,
on the southern coast of Ryongyon,
in 1884
- before the beginning of foreign missionary activity in Korea. The church was founded by Seo Sang-ryun (서상륜), who had been converted to Christianity while in Manchuria.
The church was visited and supported by English, Scottish, and American Presbyterian missionaries in the following years, including Horace Underwood. A permanent church building was constructed by the local Christians in 1895.
The territory of Ryongyon County lies just above the 38th parallel
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
, and was included in the northern zone during the division of Korea
Division of Korea
The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
. The nearby Ongjin Peninsula and Baengnyeong Island
Baengnyeong Island
Baengnyeong Island is a island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, located near the Northern Limit Line. The 1953 s:Korean Armistice Agreement which ended the Korean War specified that the five islands including Baengnyeong Island would remain under United Nations Command and South Korea...
fell within the southern zone.
During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the island Wollaedo was used as a base by pro-Southern partisans. This position was regularly bombarded by Northern artillery on the mainland of Cape Changsan. In 1952, a group of "White Tiger"
United Nations Partisan Infantry Korea
United Nations Partisan Infantry Korea , also known as the White Tigers, was a unit during the Korean War that was consolidated under the control of Eighth United States Army, Korea's 8th Army G-3 Miscellaneous Group, 8086th and 8240th Army Unit. The details about the undercover operation was made...
partisans working together with United States Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
landed on the cape. They successfully took control of and destroyed the artillery site, escaping with
small losses.
It has been reported by a former North Korean army officer that areas of the coast in Ryongyon are still defended by
land mine
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s.
The territory of Ryongyon County was previously part of Changyon
Changyon
-Geography:Changyŏn is bordered to the north by Kwail and Songhwa, to the east by Samch'ŏn and T'aet'an, to the sough by Ryongyŏn, and to the west by the Yellow Sea. Most of the land in Changyŏn is composed of flat plains, with mountains forming its borders. The highest point is Mt. Pult'a, at 609...
County. In 1952, Changyon was split, and the new Ryongyon County was created.
Economy
During the North Korean famineNorth Korean famine
'The North Korean famine was a famine in North Korea which began in the early 1990s...
of the 1990s and 2000s, relief agencies have reported
near-starvation conditions in Ryongyon.
Western aid organizations have supported a Ryongyon Sustainable Food Security Programme to bring about "environmentally friendly community development at a group of four collective farms covering
over 7,000 acres."
At an international conference on plans for a proposed Korea-China undersea tunnel, held in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
in 2008, Changsan was one of the locations considered for the terminus on the Korean side. Of the four suggested routes, the Ryongyon-Weihai
Weihai
Weihai is a city in eastern Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the easternmost prefecture-level city of the province and a major seaport. Between 1898 and 1930, the town was a British colony known as Weihaiwei or the Weihai Garrison , and sometimes as Port Edward...
line was the shortest, and the only one entering North rather than South Korea.