Special cities of North Korea

Special city
Category Unitary State
Location Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Number 4 Special Cities
Populations 205,000 (Rason) – 3,255,388 (Pyongyang)
Areas 710 square miles (1,800 km2) (Rason) – 400 square miles (1,000 km2) (Pyongyang)
Government Single-Party Government
Subdivisions District, County
This article is part of a series on the
Administrative divisions of North Korea
Provincial level
Province
(도 道 to)
Direct-administered city
(직할시 直轄市 chikhalsi)
Special city
(특별시 特別市 t'ŭkpyŏlsi)
Municipal level
Special-level city
(특급시 特級市 t'ŭkkŭpsi)
City
(시 市 si)
County
(군 郡 kun)
Ward
(구역 區域 kuyŏk)
District
(구 區 ku)
Area
(지구 地區 chigu)
Submunicipal level
Town
(읍 邑 ŭp)
Neighbourhood
(동 洞 tong)
Village
(리 里 ri)
Workers' District
(로동자구 勞動者區 rodongjagu)

Special cities are one of the first-level administrative division within North Korea. There are two top-level cities in North Korea: Pyongyang and Rason.

Position in hierarchy and types

Special cities are the higher-ranked administrative divisions in North Korea. There are three kinds of special cities in North Korea.

TypeChosongulHanjaMcCune–ReischauerCity namesNo. of cities
Direct-administered city직할시直轄市ChikhalsiPyongyang1
Special city특별시特別市T'ŭkpyŏlsiRason, Nampo2
Special-level city특급시特級市T'ŭkkŭpsiKaesong1

The first level cities have equal status to the provinces.

List of special cities

NameChosongulHanjaTypeISO PopulationArea
(km²)		Density
(/km²)		Capital RegionProvince
related		Year of
assignment
Pyongyang평양직할시平壤直轄市Directly-administered cityKP-01 3,255,3883,1941,019 Chung-guyokKwansoSouth Pyongan1946
Rason라선특별시羅先特別市Special cityKP-13 205,000746275 Rajin-guyokKwanbukNorth Hamgyong2010
Nampo남포특별시南浦特別市Special cityKP-?? 366,815829442 Waudo-guyokKwansoSouth Pyongan2011
Kaesong개성특급시開城特級市Special-level citynone 308,4401,309235 HaesoNorth Hwanghae2003
Notes
  • Pyongyang is classified as a capital city (chikhalsi), not a special city as Seoul in South Korea. In fact, the North Korean national newspaper and broadcasting say "Pyongyang Chikhalsi". Some sources, most of them come from South Korea, refer the city as a special city; however these are the old sources. Moreover, South Korea has corrected the city as a directly governed city, according to a South Korean newspaper in 1994. Also note that the official name of Pyongyang would be "Pyongyang-si" in the Republic of Korea, which officially claims to represent the entire peninsula.
  • Special-level city is the second level administrative division. Kaesong is still a part of North Hwanghae Province.
  • Namp'o is officially part of South Pyongan province.

List of defunct special cities

Division name Chosongul Hancha Province absorb into Administered Years
Chongjin청진시淸津市 North Hamgyong 1960–1967, 1977–1985
Hamhung함흥시咸興市 South Hamgyong 1960–1967

See also

References

The sources for this section are Chosun Ilbo's pages 행정구역 현황 ("Haengjeong Guyeok Hyeonhwang") and 행정구역 개편 일지 ("Haengjeong Guyeok Gaepyeon Ilji") (in Korean only; updated 2004).

    Further reading

    • Dormels, Rainer. North Korea's Cities: Industrial facilities, internal structures and typification. Jimoondang, 2014. ISBN 978-89-6297-167-5
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