Sinuiju

Sinŭiju
신의주시
Municipal City
  transcription(s)
  Chosŏn'gŭl
  Hancha
  Revised Romanization Sinuiju-si
  McCune-Reischauer Sinŭiju-si

A large square in the center of Sinŭiju in August 2012, with a statue of Kim Il-sung.
Motto: The emblem Magnolia.

Map of North Pyongan showing the location of Sinŭiju
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: [ɕi.nɰi.dzu]); Sinŭiju-si) 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

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):

Name Chosŏn'gŭl Hancha
5-1-dong (O-il-dong) 5-1동 (오일동)
Apkang-dong 압강동
Ch'aeha-dong 채하동
Ch'insŏng 1-dong 친선1동
Ch'insŏng 2-dong 친선2동
Ch'ŏngsong-dong 청송동
Haebang-dong 해방동
Kaehyŏk-tong 개혁동
Kosŏng-dong 고성동 城洞
Kŭnhwa-dong 근화동
Majŏn-dong 마전동
Minp'o-dong 민포동
Namha-dong 남하동
Namjung-dong 남중동
Nammin-dong 남민동
Namsang-dong 남상동
Namsŏ-dong 남서동 西
Namsong-dong 남송동
Paeg'un-dong 백운동
Paeksa-dong 백사동
Paekt'o-dong 백토동
Pangjik-tong 방직동
Ponbu-dong 본부동
P'anmun-dong 판문동
P'ungsŏ 1-dong 풍서1동 西
P'ungsŏ 2-dong 풍서2동 西
P'yŏnghwa-dong 평화동
Ragwŏn 1-dong 락원1동
Ragwŏn 2-dong 락원2동
Rakch'ŏng 1-dong 락청1동
Rakch'ŏng 2-dong 락청2동
Ryŏnsang 1-dong 련상1동
Ryŏnsang 2-dong 련상2동
Ryusang 1-dong 류상1동
Ryusang 2-dong 류상2동
Sinnam-dong 신남동
Sinp'o-dong 신포동
Sinwŏn-dong 신원동
Sŏkha 1-dong 석하1동
Sŏkha 2-dong 석하2동
Songhan-dong 송한동
Sŏnsang-dong 선상동
Sumun-dong 수문동
Tongha-dong 동하동
Tongjung-dong 동중동
Tongsang-dong 동상동
Wai-dong 와이동
Yŏkchŏn-dong 역전동
Yŏnha-dong 연하동
Chungjae-ri 중재리
Hadal-li 하단리
Ryuch'o-ri 류초리
Samgyo-ri 삼교리
Samryong-ri 삼룡리
Sangdal-li  상단리
Songsŏ-ri 성서리 西
Taji-ri  다지리
T'osŏng-ri 토성리

History

Developed as a major settlement during the colonial rule at the terminus of a railway bridge across the Yalu (Amrok) River, it is located 7 miles west 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[1][2] - although as UNC forces approached, the government again moved - this time to Kanggye.[2] Also, the city sustained heavy damage from aerial bombardment as part of the U.S. Air Force 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.[3][4][5] 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.[6]

Central market

Since 2002, commercial life has been centred on the Chaeha-dong Market.[7] Based on a satellite image taken on 30 October 2012, the market has been destroyed and is being made into a new park.[7]

Transportation

Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn Railway Station

Sinŭiju can be reached from P'yŏngyang by air, railway and road. It can been 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.[8]

Air

Sinŭiju's airport has a single turf runway 03/21 measuring 3,250 by 213 feet (991 by 65 metres).[9] 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.

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)[10][11][lower-alpha 1]
Source #2: Meteo Climat (extremes, 1957–present)[12]

Places of interest

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.

Ferris wheel in Sinuiju

There also is a Ferris wheel overlooking the Yalu River, reportedly broken.[13]

See also

Notes

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

References

  1. Sandler, Stanley (1999). The Korean War: No Victors, No Vanquished. The University Press of Kentucky. p. 108.
  2. 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.
  3. Rank, Michael (March 15, 2013). "North Korean-Taiwan nuclear waste deal thwarted over export permit". NK Economic Watch. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  4. Rank, Michael (30 June 2008). "North Korea in bid to recycle toxic waste". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  5. "Dalian-based Huatai Recycling Resources Co Ltd" (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  6. 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...
  7. 1 2 "Market expansion: Sinuiju". North Korea Economic Watch. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  8. Cruddas, Sarah (2014-02-18). "Peering into North Korea : North Korea". BBC - Travel. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  9. Landings database page "Landings.Com", accessed 06 Aug 2010,
  10. "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.
  11. "Station 47035 Sinuiju". Global station data 1961–1990—Sunshine Duration. Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  12. "Station Sinuiju" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  13. 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

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