Chongjin
Chongjin
청진 | |
|---|---|
| Korean transcription(s) | |
| • Chŏsŏn'gŭl | 청진시 |
| • Hancha | 淸津市 |
| • McCune–Reischauer | Ch'ŏngjin-si |
| • Revised Romanization of Korean | Cheongjin-si |
Downtown Chongjin (in September 2011) Air Koryo aircraft at Chongjin Airport Fuso buses at Chongjin Airport Chongjin Trolleybus | |
| Nickname: City of Iron | |
Interactive map of Chongjin | |
Chongjin Location in North Korea | |
| Coordinates: 41°46′01″N 129°43′24″E / 41.76694°N 129.72333°E | |
| Country | North Korea |
| Province | North Hamgyong |
| Administrative divisions | 7 kuyok |
| Government | |
| • Chairman of the Chongjin City People’s Committee of North Hamgyong Province | Kang Jun |
| Area | |
• Total | 269 km2 (104 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 9.4 m (31 ft) |
| Population (2008) | |
• Total | 627,000 |
| • Density | 2,330/km2 (6,000/sq mi) |
| • Dialect | Hamgyong |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (PYT) |
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.