Ryongchon County


Ryongch'ŏn County is a kun in North P'yǒngan province, North Korea, at the mouth of the Yalu River. The county seat is Ryongch'ŏn-ŭp, about from the border with China. The area has a reported population of 27,000 and is a centre of chemical and metalworking production.

Administrative divisions

Ryongch'ŏn county is divided into 1 ŭp, 3 rodongjagu and 19 ri :

Transport

The P'yŏngŭi line of the Korean State Railway, running between China and P'yŏngyang runs through Ryongchŏn and is served by several stations, including in Ryongch'ŏn-ŭp. It is the busiest line in the country, crossing the border in nearby Sinŭiju, North Korea to Dandong, China.

Ryongch'ŏn disaster

On 22 April 2004, the town suffered a major disaster when a flammable cargo exploded at the town's railway station, causing many deaths and much destruction, known as the Ryongch'ŏn disaster.

Protests

In February 2011, the area and others in North P'yŏngan had rare protests, of a few score of people, calling for adequate provision of rice and power. At the time, news of the Arab Spring was spreading via Chinese TV channels and phone calls with defectors.