Sinuiju

Sinŭiju
신의주시
Municipal City
  transcription(s)
 • Chosŏn'gŭl 신의주시
 • Hancha 新義州市
 • Revised Romanization Sinuiju-si
 • McCune-Reischauer Sinŭiju-si
Aerial view of Downtown Sinŭiju, from Dandong, China
Motto(s): The emblem Magnolia.

Map of North Pyongan showing the location of Sinŭiju
Sinŭiju
Location in North Korea
Coordinates: 40°06′N 124°24′E / 40.100°N 124.400°E / 40.100; 124.400Coordinates: 40°06′N 124°24′E / 40.100°N 124.400°E / 40.100; 124.400
Country  North Korea
Province North P'yŏngan
Administrative divisions 49 tong,
9 ri
Area
 • Total 180 km2 (70 sq mi)
Population (2006 (est.))
 • Total 352,000
 • Dialect P'yŏngan

Sinŭiju (Korean pronunciation: [si.nɰi.dzu]); Sinŭiju-si, known before 1925 in English as Yeng Byen City[1][2]) is a city in North Korea which faces Dandong, China across the international border of the Yalu River. It is the capital of North P'yŏngan province. Part of the city is included in the Sinŭiju Special Administrative Region, which was established in 2002 to experiment with introducing a market economy.

Geography

A park near Sino-Korea Friendship Bridge
A large square in the center of Sinŭiju in August 2012, with a statue of Kim Il-sung

Sinŭiju is bordered by the Yalu River, and by P'ihyŏn and Ryongch'ŏn counties. The city's altitude is 4 feet, or about one meter, above sea level. There are several islands at the mouth of the Yalu River - Wihwa-do, Rim-do, Ryuch'o-do and Tongryuch'o-do.

Administrative divisions

Sinuiju city is the heart of the Sinuiju Special Administrative Region. The city is currently divided into 49 tong (neighbourhoods) and 9 ri (villages):

NameChosŏn'gŭlHancha
5-1-dong (O-il-dong)5-1동 (오일동)五一洞
Apkang-dong압강동鴨江洞
Ch'aeha-dong채하동彩霞洞
Ch'insŏng 1-dong친선1동親善一洞
Ch'insŏng 2-dong친선2동親善二洞
Ch'ŏngsong-dong청송동靑松洞
Haebang-dong해방동解放洞
Kaehyŏk-tong개혁동改革洞
Kosŏng-dong고성동古城洞
Kŭnhwa-dong근화동芹花洞
Majŏn-dong마전동麻田洞
Minp'o-dong민포동敏浦洞
Namha-dong남하동南下洞
Namjung-dong남중동南中洞
Nammin-dong남민동南敏洞
Namsang-dong남상동南上洞
Namsŏ-dong남서동南西洞
Namsong-dong남송동南松洞
Paeg'un-dong백운동白雲洞
Paeksa-dong백사동白沙洞
Paekt'o-dong백토동白土洞
Pangjik-tong방직동紡織洞
Ponbu-dong본부동本部洞
P'anmun-dong판문동板門洞
P'ungsŏ 1-dong풍서1동豊西一洞
P'ungsŏ 2-dong풍서2동豊西二洞
P'yŏnghwa-dong평화동平和洞
Ragwŏn 1-dong락원1동樂園一洞
Ragwŏn 2-dong락원2동樂園二洞
Rakch'ŏng 1-dong락청1동樂清一洞
Rakch'ŏng 2-dong락청2동樂清二洞
Ryŏnsang 1-dong련상1동蓮上一洞
Ryŏnsang 2-dong련상2동蓮上二洞
Ryusang 1-dong류상1동柳上一洞
Ryusang 2-dong류상2동柳上二洞
Sinnam-dong신남동新南洞
Sinp'o-dong신포동新浦洞
Sinwŏn-dong신원동新元洞
Sŏkha 1-dong석하1동石下一洞
Sŏkha 2-dong석하2동石下二洞
Songhan-dong송한동送鷴洞
Sŏnsang-dong선상동仙上洞
Sumun-dong수문동水門洞
Tongha-dong동하동東下洞
Tongjung-dong동중동東中洞
Tongsang-dong동상동東上洞
Wai-dong와이동瓦耳洞
Yŏkchŏn-dong역전동驛前洞
Yŏnha-dong연하동煙下洞
Chungjae-ri중재리中斉里
Hadal-li하단리下端里
Ryuch'o-ri류초리柳草里
Samgyo-ri삼교리三橋里
Samryong-ri삼룡리三龍里
Sangdal-li　상단리上端里
Songsŏ-ri성서리城西里
Taji-ri　다지리多智里
T'osŏng-ri토성리土城里

History

Developed as a major settlement during the colonial rule at the terminus of a railway bridge across the Yalu (Amrok) River, Sinuiju is located 7 miles south by southwest of Ŭiju, the old city from whose name Sinŭiju (meaning “New Ŭiju”) derives. As an open port, it grew commercially with the logging industry which uses the Yalu River to transport lumber. Additionally, a chemical industry developed after the hydroelectric Sup'ung Dam was built further up the river.

In the course of the Korean War, after being driven from P'yŏngyang, Kim Il Sung and his government temporarily moved its capital to Sinŭiju[3][4] - although as UNC forces approached, the government again moved - this time to Kanggye.[4] Also, the city sustained heavy damage from aerial bombardment as part of the United States Air Force's strategic bombing of North Korea, but the city has since been rebuilt.

Economy

Waterfront on the Yalu River

An important light industry centre in North Korea, Sinŭiju has a plant manufacturing enamelled ironware as well as a textile mill, paper mill and an afforestation factory. Its southwest harbour has a shipyard, although the shipyard's main function is seemingly to dismantle ships for scrap metal and other usable materials rather than building new ships. The area has recycling plants which recycle a wide range of material, including products that are banned for recycling in China.[5][6][7] The Sinŭiju Cosmetics Factory is located in South Sinŭiju (Namsinŭiju).

Trade with China

A substantial portion of North Korea's international trade, both legal and illegal, passes through Sinuiju and Dandong, across the Yalu River in China.[8]

Central market

Since 2002, commercial life has been centred on the Chaeha-dong Market.[9] Based on a satellite image taken on 30 October 2012, the market has been destroyed and is being made into a new park.[9]

Transportation

Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn Railway Station

Sinŭiju can be reached from P'yŏngyang by air, railway and road. It can be reached from Dandong in China by crossing the Yalu River by bridge or boat. Foreign tourists on excursion boats from Dandong are sometimes permitted to approach within a few meters of the city's coastline, as long as they do not land.[10]

Air

Sinŭiju's airport has a single turf runway 03/21 measuring 3,250 by 213 feet (991 by 65 metres).[11] Air Koryŏ operates passenger and cargo flights from P'yŏngyang.

Rail

Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn Station is the northern terminus of the Korean State Railway's P'yŏngŭi Line from P'yŏngyang; the district is also served by several other stations on the P'yŏngŭi line, as well as the Tŏkhyŏn and Paengma lines. It is also connected with the Chinese city of Dandong in Liaoning Province (China) by the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which is 944 m (3,097 ft) long from end to end, and through the Manchuria Railway links up with the Trans-Siberian railway. The factories of the city of Sinŭiju are provided with railway service via the Kang'an Line.

Climate

Sinŭiju has a monsoonal humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa) with hot, humid and stormy summers and cold, dry winters with little snowfall.

Climate data for Sinuiju
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 9.2
(48.6)		 15.5
(59.9)		 22.0
(71.6)		 28.4
(83.1)		 32.0
(89.6)		 37.0
(98.6)		 36.9
(98.4)		 37.1
(98.8)		 33.0
(91.4)		 28.9
(84)		 21.5
(70.7)		 13.9
(57)		 37.1
(98.8)
Average high °C (°F) −4.1
(24.6)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 6.4
(43.5)		 14.7
(58.5)		 20.6
(69.1)		 25.2
(77.4)		 28.1
(82.6)		 28.8
(83.8)		 25.0
(77)		 18.0
(64.4)		 8.4
(47.1)		 −1.3
(29.7)		 14.1
(57.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −8.6
(16.5)		 −5.2
(22.6)		 1.4
(34.5)		 8.9
(48)		 15.0
(59)		 19.8
(67.6)		 23.7
(74.7)		 24.0
(75.2)		 18.4
(65.1)		 11.4
(52.5)		 2.6
(36.7)		 −5.4
(22.3)		 8.8
(47.8)
Average low °C (°F) −14.2
(6.4)		 −10.8
(12.6)		 −3.6
(25.5)		 3.5
(38.3)		 9.9
(49.8)		 15.8
(60.4)		 20.8
(69.4)		 20.7
(69.3)		 13.9
(57)		 6.2
(43.2)		 −2.2
(28)		 −10.4
(13.3)		 4.1
(39.4)
Record low °C (°F) −25.0
(−13)		 −26.0
(−14.8)		 −18.9
(−2)		 −5.0
(23)		 −2.6
(27.3)		 3.0
(37.4)		 10.7
(51.3)		 10.0
(50)		 2.8
(37)		 −5.3
(22.5)		 −15.0
(5)		 −22.8
(−9)		 −26.0
(−14.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 10.7
(0.421)		 11.6
(0.457)		 26.4
(1.039)		 50.8
(2)		 72.0
(2.835)		 105.8
(4.165)		 303.7
(11.957)		 269.4
(10.606)		 108.6
(4.276)		 56.3
(2.217)		 33.6
(1.323)		 17.2
(0.677)		 1,066.1
(41.972)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 2 2 5 5 7 9 12 11 7 6 5 3 75
Average relative humidity (%) 68 65 66 67 72 79 85 83 76 72 69 69 73
Mean monthly sunshine hours 199 195 227 228 237 207 163 200 220 208 169 172 2,425
Source #1: Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun, 1961–1990)[12][13][lower-alpha 1]
Source #2: Meteo Climat (extremes, 1957–present)[14]

Places of interest

Ferris wheel in Sinuiju

Facilities in Sinŭiju include Sinŭiju High School, Sinŭiju Commercial High School, Eastern Middle School, Sinŭiju Light Industry University, Sinŭiju University of Medicine and the Sinuiju University of Education. Scenic sites include the Tonggun Pavilion, Waterfall, and Hot Springs.

There also is a Ferris wheel overlooking the Yalu River, reportedly broken.[15]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Station ID for Sinuiju is 47035 Use this station ID to locate the sunshine duration

References

  1. ↑ "Yeng-byen, North Pyongan Province, North Korea". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
  2. ↑ Minutes of the Korea Annual Conference. Seoul, South Korea: The Fukuin Printing Company. 1914. p. 27.
  3. ↑ Sandler, Stanley (1999). The Korean War: No Victors, No Vanquished. The University Press of Kentucky. p. 108.
  4. 1 2 Mossman, Billy (June 29, 2005). United States Army in the Korean War: Ebb and Flow November 1950-July 1951. University Press of the Pacific. p. 51.
  5. ↑ Rank, Michael (March 15, 2013). "North Korean-Taiwan nuclear waste deal thwarted over export permit". NK Economic Watch. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  6. ↑ Rank, Michael (30 June 2008). "North Korea in bid to recycle toxic waste". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "Dalian-based Huatai Recycling Resources Co Ltd" (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  8. ↑ Jane Perlez and Yufan Huang (March 31, 2016). "A Hole in North Korean Sanctions Big Enough for Coal, Oil and Used Pianos". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2016. China accounts for about 90 percent of North Korea’s trade. Half of that business is estimated to flow through Dandong...
  9. 1 2 "Market expansion: Sinuiju". North Korea Economic Watch. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  10. ↑ Cruddas, Sarah (2014-02-18). "Peering into North Korea : North Korea". BBC - Travel. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  11. ↑ Landings database page "Landings.Com", accessed 06 Aug 2010,
  12. ↑ "Klimatafel von Sinuiju / Korea (Nordkorea)" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  13. ↑ "Station 47035 Sinuiju". Global station data 1961–1990—Sunshine Duration. Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "Station Sinuiju" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  15. ↑ Kane, Daniel (October 22, 2010). "Observations from Dandong". NK News. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Further in shore I spotted Sinuiju’s signature monument, the Ferris wheel that doesn’t move.

Further reading

  • Cathcart, Adam, and Charles Kraus, “Peripheral Influence: The Sinŭiju Student Incident of 1945 and the Impact of Soviet Occupation in North Korea,” Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 13 (2008), pp. 1–28.
  • Dormels, Rainer. North Korea's Cities: Industrial facilities, internal structures and typification. Jimoondang, 2014. ISBN 978-89-6297-167-5
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