Hyesan

Hyesan is a city in the northern part of Ryanggang province of North Korea. It is an important place for river transportation and for moving products around the area. Hyesan also serves as the administrative center of Ryanggang Province, meaning it is where many important decisions for the province are made. As of 2008, the city was home to about 192,680 people.

Area

In the 1940s, the city of Hyesan included the nearby Paektu Mountains. But later, the city's area was reduced to just the nearby Yalu River.

Because of the split between North and South Korea, Hyesan is also considered part of South Korea based on the 1940s borders. This causes a disagreement between South Korea and the People's Republic of China over the Paektu Mountains, which are now partly in North Korea and partly in China. South Korea still shows the northern parts of the mountains on its maps, even though China controls them.

History

Hyesan started as a small village in ancient kingdoms like Goguryeo and Balhae. Later, it was taken by tribes from the Jurchen (also known as Manchu) people. It was reclaimed and turned into a strong military town by leaders of Goryeo and Joseon in the 1400s.

During a big war called the Korean War, Hyesan was where soldiers from the United States came closest to the border with China in 1950. In more recent times, Hyesan has been an important place for trade between North Korea and China. Special rules were put in place to control movement across the border during the Covid-19 situation.

Geography

The city of Hyesan is found south of the Paektu Mountains, close to the border with the People's Republic of China. It is separated from China by the Yalu (Amrok) River, with Changbai being the nearest city across the river.

Hyesan has a special kind of climate called humid continental. It is one of the coldest places in Korea and once recorded a very low temperature of −42 °C or −43.6 °F in 1915.

Administrative divisions

Hyesan City is divided into 25 tong (neighbourhoods) and 4 ri (villages).

Economy

Hyesan has factories for processing wood, making paper, and producing textiles. Since the 1990s, the city has faced tough economic times, and some factories have shut down. Photos and reports from the nearby Chinese side of the river describe Hyesan as almost empty, with quiet streets and dark nights because there is little electricity. People in the city are said to wash their clothes in the river since many homes lack running water.

The Hyesan mine was first found in the 1960s and makes about 10,000 tons of copper each year. This area holds most of North Korea’s copper, enough for mining for many years to come. After another mine, Kapsan Tongjum Mine, ran out of ore and closed in 1990, Hyesan Mine became important for the country’s copper. However, lack of power caused flooding in the mine. During a very hard time for North Korea in the mid-1990s, the mine flooded again. Efforts to fix it began in 1998, with help from China, and the mine was brought back into use.

Transportation

Hyesan is linked to other cities in North Korea by roads and railway lines, including the Paektusan Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Pukbunaeryuk lines of the Korean State Railway.

The city also has a trolleybus system, but its current status is unclear.

Education

Hyesan has schools such as Hyesan High School and Hyesan Girls' School. For higher learning, there are places like Hyesan Medical University, Hyesan University of Agriculture and Forestry, Kim Jŏng-suk College of Education, Hyesan College of Light Engineering, and Hyesan University of Industry.

Nearby, the countryside offers interesting spots like the Kwaegung Pavilion, Naegŏk Hot Spring, and Mount Paektu.

Notable people

Hyesan is known for two notable people who escaped from North Korea and became activists. Yeonmi Park was born in 1993 and left North Korea in 2007. Lee Hyeon-seo was born in 1980 and escaped North Korea in 1997. Both share their experiences to help others understand life in North Korea.

Yeonmi Park

Lee Hyeon-seo