Munchon

Munch'ŏn 문천시
Municipal City
Korean transcription(s)
• Chosŏn'gŭl	문천시
• Hancha	文川市
• McCune-Reischauer	Munch'ŏn si
• Revised Romanization	Muncheon-si
Map of Kangwon showing the location of Munch'ŏn
Munch'ŏn Location within North Korea
Coordinates: 39.259°N 127.356°E / 39.259; 127.356
Country	North Korea
Province	Kangwon Province
Administrative divisions	16 tong, 14 ri
Population  (2008)
• Total	122,934
Time zone	UTC+9 (Pyongyang Time)
Climate	Dwa

Munch'ŏn (Korean pronunciation: [mun.tsʰʌn]) is a North Korean city located in Kangwŏn Province. It lies on the coast of the Sea of Japan and borders Wonsan.

History

During the era of Four Commanderies of Han, the region was known as the Xietoumei prefecture under Lintun Commandery. During the later Han period, it was part of the kingdom of Dongye and became part of Goguryeo in the 3rd century. The region was called Maeguru at the time of King Gwanggaeto the Great. Before 1413, the region was part of Hamgyong province, then known as Munju County, but due to the naming changes that follows the convention of changing regional names that end with ju to end with chon(川) or san(山), it became the county of Munchon. Manju was a sinicized name of the Korean name 'Mulgol (물골, water valley or town)' where the Korean word mul was substituted with mun which sounds similar to the Korean. In 1946, the region became part of Kangwon province. In 1972, after numerous subdivision changes, the county was abolished and incorporated into nearby counties. The county was once again restored in 1976 when some parts of it were incorporated into the city of Wonsan. In 1991, the county was promoted to a city.

Geography

Munch'ŏn sits on Yŏnghŭng Bay, a bay of the Sea of Japan, on lowland seacoast terrain. The Masingryŏng Mountain Range is to the southwest. The Sokko Mountain Range and Ch'ŏllyŏng Mountain Range are also located here, and Kulttuk Peak is the highest mountain in the region. The main river is the Namch'ŏn River.

Climate

Munch'ŏn has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dwa).

Climate data for Munch'ŏn
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	1.3 (34.3)	2.4 (36.3)	7.6 (45.7)	15.9 (60.6)	20.9 (69.6)	24.3 (75.7)	27.2 (81.0)	27.9 (82.2)	24.0 (75.2)	18.9 (66.0)	10.4 (50.7)	3.1 (37.6)	15.3 (59.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−3.9 (25.0)	−2.4 (27.7)	2.8 (37.0)	10.1 (50.2)	15.3 (59.5)	19.6 (67.3)	23.3 (73.9)	23.8 (74.8)	19.0 (66.2)	13.2 (55.8)	5.6 (42.1)	−1.3 (29.7)	10.4 (50.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−9.0 (15.8)	−7.2 (19.0)	−1.9 (28.6)	4.4 (39.9)	9.8 (49.6)	15.0 (59.0)	19.4 (66.9)	19.8 (67.6)	14.1 (57.4)	7.5 (45.5)	0.9 (33.6)	−5.7 (21.7)	5.6 (42.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	27 (1.1)	28 (1.1)	48 (1.9)	64 (2.5)	75 (3.0)	125 (4.9)	348 (13.7)	365 (14.4)	235 (9.3)	57 (2.2)	54 (2.1)	24 (0.9)	1,450 (57.1)
Source: Climate-Data.org

Administrative divisions

Munch'ŏn is divided into 16 tong and 14 ri:

Changbaek-tong Haean-dong Haebangsan-dong Hwangsŏk-tong Kangch'ŏl-dong Kap'yŏng-dong Koam-dong Kwanp'ung-dong Munch'ŏn-dong Munp'yŏng-dong Okp'yŏng-dong Pukhaeng-dong Sam'o-dong Sinan-dong Sŏngmun-dong

Ŭnjŏng-dong Kaŭl-li Kyosŏng-ri Namch'ang-ri Pubang-ri Ryongjŏl-li Ryongt'al-li Samdong-ri Samhwa-ri Sam'il-li Sinsong-ri Sŏkchŏl-li Songjung-ri Tapch'ol-li Tŏkhŭng-ri

Economy

Agriculture and fishery

Fishery, fruit, and livestock are the main industries of the region. Grain is the main agricultural product. The region is also known for its oysters.

Mining

Munch'ŏn has reserves of zinc, gold, silver, limestone, dolomite, granite and clay. Anthracite is also produced.

Transportation

Munch'ŏn-si is served by the Kangwŏn Line of the Korean State Railway, with stations at Koam-dong, Okp'yŏng-dong and Munch'ŏn-dong.

Further reading

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

External links

• Korea Tourist Map (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese)
• City profile of Munchon Archived 2016-03-09 at the Wayback Machine