Ryongyon County

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Ryongyon County" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["counties-of-south-hwanghae-province"] topic_path: "general/counties-of-south-hwanghae-province" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryongyon_County" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Ryongyon County
native_name	룡연군
native_name_lang	ko
settlement_type	County
translit_lang1	Korean
translit_lang1_type1	Hanja
translit_lang1_info1	龍淵郡
translit_lang1_type2	McCune-Reischauer
translit_lang1_info2	Ryongyŏn-gun
translit_lang1_type3	Revised Romanization
translit_lang1_info3	Yongyeon-gun
image_map	Ryongyon_location.png
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	North Korea
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_name1	South Hwanghae Province
coordinates
area_total_km2	490.7
population_as_of	2008
population_total	90,102
population_density_km2	auto
parts_type	Administrative divisions
::

Ryongyŏn County is a county in western South Hwanghae province, North Korea. Its Yellow Sea coast is known for its natural environment and as an important habitat for plants and birds. Ryongyŏn was the first place in which Protestant Christianity was established in Korea, in the late 19th century.

Geography

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Ryongyon_landsat_zoom.jpg" caption="Ryongyŏn in NASA Landsat imagery"] ::

Ryongyŏn 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). Ryongyŏn 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. |url = http://english.kbs.co.kr/life/travel/spots/1398197_11625.html |title = Baekryong, an Island Overlooking Jangsan Cape in North Korea |access-date = 2009-12-04 |last = Shin |first = Sung-soon |publisher = KBS Global |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070817105956/http://english.kbs.co.kr/life/travel/spots/1398197_11625.html |archive-date = 2007-08-17

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 Ryongyŏn 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,{{cite web |url = http://www.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/sitedetails.cfm?siteid=102628&level=nat |title = Jangsan Cape |publisher = World Database on Protected Areas |access-date = 2009-12-04 |title = Scenic Spots on West Coast of Korea |url = http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2007/200706/news06/14.htm |publisher = Korean Central News Agency |date = June 13, 2007 |access-date = 2008-07-06 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070708043837/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2007/200706/news06/14.htm |archive-date = 2007-07-08 |url-status = dead |url = http://www.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/sitedetails.cfm?siteid=102358&level=nat |title = Monggumpho Sand Hill |publisher = World Database on Protected Areas |access-date = 2009-12-04

Climate

| width = auto | location = Ryongyon (1991–2020) | metric first = Yes | single line = Yes | Jan high C = 1.2 | Feb high C = 4.1 | Mar high C = 9.7 | Apr high C = 16.7 | May high C = 22.5 | Jun high C = 26.4 | Jul high C = 28.2 | Aug high C = 29.2 | Sep high C = 25.9 | Oct high C = 19.6 | Nov high C = 11.2 | Dec high C = 3.6 | year high C = 16.5 | Jan mean C = -3.7 | Feb mean C = -1.3 | Mar mean C = 3.9 | Apr mean C = 10.4 | May mean C = 16.0 | Jun mean C = 20.7 | Jul mean C = 24.0 | Aug mean C = 24.5 | Sep mean C = 19.7 | Oct mean C = 13.1 | Nov mean C = 5.9 | Dec mean C = -1.1 | year mean C = 11.0 | Jan low C = -8.4 | Feb low C = -6.2 | Mar low C = -1.3 | Apr low C = 4.4 | May low C = 10.2 | Jun low C = 15.9 | Jul low C = 20.6 | Aug low C = 20.5 | Sep low C = 14.2 | Oct low C = 6.9 | Nov low C = 0.9 | Dec low C = -5.4 | year low C = 6.0 | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 9.4 | Feb precipitation mm = 14.5 | Mar precipitation mm = 18.7 | Apr precipitation mm = 44.1 | May precipitation mm = 74.7 | Jun precipitation mm = 81.3 | Jul precipitation mm = 205.7 | Aug precipitation mm = 182.3 | Sep precipitation mm = 81.7 | Oct precipitation mm = 32.5 | Nov precipitation mm = 37.6 | Dec precipitation mm = 18.1 | year precipitation mm = 800.6 | unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm | Jan precipitation days = 4.4 | Feb precipitation days = 3.4 | Mar precipitation days = 3.3 | Apr precipitation days = 4.7 | May precipitation days = 5.7 | Jun precipitation days = 6.3 | Jul precipitation days = 9.7 | Aug precipitation days = 8.6 | Sep precipitation days = 5.0 | Oct precipitation days = 4.2 | Nov precipitation days = 6.5 | Dec precipitation days = 7.0 | year precipitation days = 68.8 | Jan snow days = 5.9 | Feb snow days = 2.6 | Mar snow days = 1.0 | Apr snow days = 0.1 | May snow days = 0.0 | Jun snow days = 0.0 | Jul snow days = 0.0 | Aug snow days = 0.0 | Sep snow days = 0.0 | Oct snow days = 0.1 | Nov snow days = 2.1 | Dec snow days = 6.9 | year snow days = 18.7 | Jan humidity = 72.4 | Feb humidity = 69.5 | Mar humidity = 67.1 | Apr humidity = 66.6 | May humidity = 71.6 | Jun humidity = 78.2 | Jul humidity = 86.0 | Aug humidity = 84.5 | Sep humidity = 78.9 | Oct humidity = 74.3 | Nov humidity = 75.0 | Dec humidity = 74.9 | year humidity = 74.9 |source 1 = Korea Meteorological Administration{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220129211112/https://data.kma.go.kr/resources/normals/pdf_data/northkorea_pdf_0104.pdf | archive-date = 29 January 2022 | url = https://data.kma.go.kr/resources/normals/pdf_data/northkorea_pdf_0104.pdf | title = 30 years report of Meteorological Observations in North Korea (1991 ~ 2020) | publisher = Korea Meteorological Administration | access-date = 24 March 2022 | language = ko | url-status = live | pages = 222, 330, and 345}}

Administrative divisions

The county is divided into one ŭp and twenty ri:

::data[format=table]


::

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Sorae_korea_church_1895.jpeg" caption="Korean Christians"] ::

The first Protestant Christian church in Korea was founded at Sorae (), on the southern coast of Ryongyŏn,{{cite encyclopedia | last = Ko | first = T'ae-u | encyclopedia = Korean Encyclopædia Britannica | title = 용연군 (Yongyŏn-kun) | url = http://100.empas.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=B&i=174883 | access-date = 2009-12-04 | publisher = Korean Britannica Company | title = Major history | url = http://www.pck.or.kr/Eng/History/MajorH.asp | publisher = The Presbyterian Church of Korea | access-date = 2009-12-04 | archive-date = 2011-07-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718113130/http://www.pck.or.kr/Eng/History/MajorH.asp | url-status = dead | title = The guest | last = Hwang | first = Sok-yong | year = 2005 | publisher = Seven Stories Press | isbn = 1-58322-693-1 | pages = 54–56 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HnRw6KbpLQkC | access-date = 2009-12-04}}

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.{{cite book | title = Fifteen Years Among the Top-knots: Or, Life in Korea | last = Underwood | first = Lillias Horton | year = 1908 | publisher = American Tract Society | isbn = 9780790568997 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=G6gPAAAAYAAJ | access-date = 2009-12-04}}{{cite book | last = Underwood | first = Horace G. | title = The Call of Korea | year = 1908 | publisher = Fleming H. Revell Co. | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZbRGAAAAIAAJ | access-date = 2009-12-04}}

The territory of Ryongyŏn 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.{{cite book | title = White Tigers: My Secret War in North Korea | last = Malcom | first = Ben S. | publisher = Brassey's | year = 2003 | isbn = 1-57488-605-3}}{{cite journal |title = Unconventional Warfare in Korea: Forgotten aspect of the 'Forgotten War' |last = Kipler |first = Richard L. |date = August 2003 |journal = Special Warfare |publisher = John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School |volume = 16 |issue = 2 |pages = 26–37 |url = http://www.soc.mil/swcs/swmag/Archives/03aug.pdf |access-date = 2009-12-04

It has been reported by a former North Korean army officer that areas of the coast in Ryongyŏn are still defended by land mines.{{cite book | title = Landmine Monitor Report 2007 | publisher = International Campaign to Ban Landmines | chapter = Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | chapter-url = http://www.icbl.org/lm/2007/ | access-date = 2009-12-04}}

The territory of Ryongyŏn County was previously part of Changyon County. In 1952, Changyon was split, and the new Ryongyŏn County was created.

Economy

During the North Korean famine of the 1990s and 2000s, relief agencies have reported near-starvation conditions in Ryongyŏn.{{cite news | title = People Waiting to Starve to Death in Ryongyon county, South Hwanghae Province | url = http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&shortid=MUMA-7FNA6U&file=Full_Report.pdf | work = North Korea Today | publisher = Research Institute for North Korean Society | date = June 16, 2008 | access-date = 2009-12-04 Western aid organizations have supported a Ryongyŏn Sustainable Food Security Programme to bring about "environmentally friendly community development at a group of four collective farms covering over 7,000 acres."{{cite news | title = Anabaptists take the lead on vital North Korea farm programme | url = http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/7124 | work = Ekklesia | date = May 11, 2008 | access-date = 2009-12-04 | archive-date = 2008-07-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080706224342/http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/7124 | url-status = dead

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 Ryongyŏn-Weihai line was the shortest, and the only one entering North rather than South Korea.{{cite web |title = Korea-China Undersea Tunnel Could Enable Close Partnership of Northeast Asia |url = http://english.gg.go.kr/board/viewToday.jsp?lm=01&seq=743&page=3&method=&query= |publisher = Gyeonggi Province |date = May 30, 2008 |access-date = 2009-12-04 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://archive.today/20110717182559/http://english.gg.go.kr/board/viewToday.jsp?lm=01&seq=743&page=3&method=&query= |archive-date = July 17, 2011

Footnotes

References

[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/northkorea/admin/ North Korea: Administrative Division]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::