Changsong County


Changsŏng County is a kun, or county, in northern North Phyŏngan province, North Korea. It is bordered by Pyŏktong to the east, Tongchang and Taegwan to the south, Sakchu to the west; to the north, it faces China across the Yalu River.

Name

Changsŏng appears as "Changseong" in South Korea's Revised Romanization and as Changcheng in Chinese records, as during its occupation by Mao Wenlong's forces during the Manchu conquest of China.

Geography

Changsŏng's terrain is steep and mountainous, sloping generally downward from the southeast toward the Yalu. The Kangnam Mountains and Pandŏk Mountains both pass through the county. The highest point is Piraebong, at 1470 m. The county is drained by various tributaries of the Yalu, including the Yŏngjuchŏn and Namchangchŏn, as well as by the Changsŏng River, a tributary of the Taeryŏng. The Yalu itself has been blocked by the Suphung Dam to create Suphung Lake.

Administrative divisions

Changsŏng county is divided into 1 ŭp. 1 rodongjagu and 15 ri :

Climate

Annual rainfall in Changsŏng is 1000 mm, with an annual average temperature of 7.3 °C. Temperatures are of course much colder in the mountains, with the snows atop Piraebong not melting until late May. Fog is common near Suphung Lake. Some 80% of the county's land is forested, while only 6.1% is under cultivation.

Economy

is widely practised; other crops include maize, rice, peanuts, gochu peppers, sweet potatoes, and various fruits. Changsŏng also leads the county in the production of sheep. Various products, including lumber and medicinal herbs, are harvested from the forests. In addition, gold, tungsten, and coal are mined from the hills. Local manufactured products include gochujang and alcohol.

Transportation

There are no railroads, but a road does connect Changsŏng to Sakchu, Tongchang, and Pyŏktong. Freight and passenger traffic is also carried by ships plying Lake Suphung; the lake is also used to transport raw lumber.