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Chongjin
Chongjin (Korean pronunciation: [tsʰʌŋ.dʑin]; Korean: 청진시; MR: Ch'ŏngjin-si) is the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyong Province. It is the country's third-largest city by population and an important port city on the northeastern coast. Originally a small fishing village, it industrialized significantly under Japanese rule and later under the North Korean government.
The city is a hub of trade and industry, despite having suffered heavily during the famine of the 1990s. Sometimes called the "City of Iron", Chongjin is one of North Korea's major industrial centers for steel and fiber. Chongjin also functions as a regional center of transport, culture, and education, and hosts foreign consulates from both China and Russia, a rarity in North Korea.
According to archaeological findings near the lower areas of the Tumen river, evidence of human living traces back to the Paleolithic period.
According to the Records of the Grand Historian, the region was where the tribe kingdoms of Buyeo, Mohe, Okjeo, Yilou, Yemaek and Sushen existed. The region later was the territory of Goguryeo. After the fall of Goguryeo in 668, the region was ruled by the Tang dynasty. During the reign of Balhae, the region was under the subdivision Donggyeongyongwonbu. The region was under the rule of the Jin dynasty and Yuan dynasty after the fall of Balhae by the Khitans.
Chongjin was a small fishing village prior to the Japanese annexation of Korea; its date of establishment is unknown. The Chinese characters for its name mean 'clear river crossing'. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, Japanese forces landed at Chongjin and established a supply base due to its proximity to the front lines in Manchuria. The Japanese remained after the end of the war, and in 1908, declared the city an open trading port both for the transport of Korean resources and as a stopping point for resources from China. The city was known during this period as “Seishin”, after the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters for its name. The Imperial Japanese Army’s 19th Division was headquartered in Ranam from 1918, where the Japanese built a new planned city based on a rectangular street grid. In 1930, Nippon Steel built a large steel mill, the Seishin Iron and Steel Works, in the town. Ranam was annexed to Chongjin in 1940, which was elevated to city status. The Soviet Red Army overran the city after brief resistance on 13 August 1945, only two days before the end of World War II. Under the rule of North Korea, Chongjin remained an important military and industrial centre. It was directly administered by the central government from 1960–1967 and from 1977–1988.[citation needed]
In April 1969, a Lockheed EC-121M Super Constellation of the US Navy (135749) was shot down by two North Korean MiG-17 fighters SE of Chongjin over the Sea of Japan. All 31 occupants were killed, making it the deadliest plane crash in North Korean territory. The plane was on a military flight out of Atsugi NAS.
During the North Korean famine of the 1990s, Chongjin was one of the worst affected locations in the country; death rates may have been as high as 20%. Conditions there remain poor in terms of food availability. This problem has caused several instances of civil unrest in Chongjin, a rarity in North Korea. On 4 March 2008, a crowd of women merchants protested in response to tightened market controls. Rising grain prices and government attempts to prohibit "peddling in the market" have been cited as causes for the protests. As a result of the protest, the Chongjin local government "posted a proclamation allowing peddling in the market." On 24 August 2008, a clash occurred between foot patrol agents and female merchants, which escalated into a "massive protest rally". It was reported that the Chongjin local government-issued verbal instructions relaxing the enforcement activity until the time of the next grain ration.
On May 21, 2025, a newly developed Korean People's Navy destroyer suffered a major accident in a side launch maneuver during an event in the Port of Chongjin. Kim Jong-un declared that criminal acts resulted in the incident. A chief engineer and 2 shipyard officials were arrested in connection with the incident. According to analysts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Chongjin port only had experience in producing smaller vessels such as cargo ships and fishing boats, which likely made it ill-suited for launching a warship.
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Chongjin
Chongjin (Korean pronunciation: [tsʰʌŋ.dʑin]; Korean: 청진시; MR: Ch'ŏngjin-si) is the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyong Province. It is the country's third-largest city by population and an important port city on the northeastern coast. Originally a small fishing village, it industrialized significantly under Japanese rule and later under the North Korean government.
The city is a hub of trade and industry, despite having suffered heavily during the famine of the 1990s. Sometimes called the "City of Iron", Chongjin is one of North Korea's major industrial centers for steel and fiber. Chongjin also functions as a regional center of transport, culture, and education, and hosts foreign consulates from both China and Russia, a rarity in North Korea.
According to archaeological findings near the lower areas of the Tumen river, evidence of human living traces back to the Paleolithic period.
According to the Records of the Grand Historian, the region was where the tribe kingdoms of Buyeo, Mohe, Okjeo, Yilou, Yemaek and Sushen existed. The region later was the territory of Goguryeo. After the fall of Goguryeo in 668, the region was ruled by the Tang dynasty. During the reign of Balhae, the region was under the subdivision Donggyeongyongwonbu. The region was under the rule of the Jin dynasty and Yuan dynasty after the fall of Balhae by the Khitans.
Chongjin was a small fishing village prior to the Japanese annexation of Korea; its date of establishment is unknown. The Chinese characters for its name mean 'clear river crossing'. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, Japanese forces landed at Chongjin and established a supply base due to its proximity to the front lines in Manchuria. The Japanese remained after the end of the war, and in 1908, declared the city an open trading port both for the transport of Korean resources and as a stopping point for resources from China. The city was known during this period as “Seishin”, after the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters for its name. The Imperial Japanese Army’s 19th Division was headquartered in Ranam from 1918, where the Japanese built a new planned city based on a rectangular street grid. In 1930, Nippon Steel built a large steel mill, the Seishin Iron and Steel Works, in the town. Ranam was annexed to Chongjin in 1940, which was elevated to city status. The Soviet Red Army overran the city after brief resistance on 13 August 1945, only two days before the end of World War II. Under the rule of North Korea, Chongjin remained an important military and industrial centre. It was directly administered by the central government from 1960–1967 and from 1977–1988.[citation needed]
In April 1969, a Lockheed EC-121M Super Constellation of the US Navy (135749) was shot down by two North Korean MiG-17 fighters SE of Chongjin over the Sea of Japan. All 31 occupants were killed, making it the deadliest plane crash in North Korean territory. The plane was on a military flight out of Atsugi NAS.
During the North Korean famine of the 1990s, Chongjin was one of the worst affected locations in the country; death rates may have been as high as 20%. Conditions there remain poor in terms of food availability. This problem has caused several instances of civil unrest in Chongjin, a rarity in North Korea. On 4 March 2008, a crowd of women merchants protested in response to tightened market controls. Rising grain prices and government attempts to prohibit "peddling in the market" have been cited as causes for the protests. As a result of the protest, the Chongjin local government "posted a proclamation allowing peddling in the market." On 24 August 2008, a clash occurred between foot patrol agents and female merchants, which escalated into a "massive protest rally". It was reported that the Chongjin local government-issued verbal instructions relaxing the enforcement activity until the time of the next grain ration.
On May 21, 2025, a newly developed Korean People's Navy destroyer suffered a major accident in a side launch maneuver during an event in the Port of Chongjin. Kim Jong-un declared that criminal acts resulted in the incident. A chief engineer and 2 shipyard officials were arrested in connection with the incident. According to analysts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Chongjin port only had experience in producing smaller vessels such as cargo ships and fishing boats, which likely made it ill-suited for launching a warship.