Kaesong (, ; ) is a special city in the southern part of North Korea (formerly in North Hwanghae Province), and the capital of Korea during the Taebong kingdom and subsequent Goryeo dynasty. The city is near the Kaesong Industrial Region close to the border with South Korea and contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. Called Songdo while it was the ancient capital of Goryeo, the city prospered as a trade centre that produced Korean ginseng. Kaesong now functions as North Korea's light industry centre.
During the Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945, the city was known by the Japanese pronunciation of its name, "Kaijō". Between 1945 and 1950, Kaesong was under American, and later South Korean, control. During the Korean War, North Korea captured the city, and the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement left the city under North Korean control. Due to the city's proximity to the border with South Korea, Kaesong has hosted cross-border economic exchanges between the two countries as well as the jointly run Kaesong Industrial Region.
As of 2009, the city had a population of 192,578.
History The earliest archaeological signs of habitation in the Kaesong area date from the Neolithic era. Artifacts such as Jeulmun pottery, stone ware, and stone axes have been excavated from Osongsan and Kaesong Rasong, the double-walled fortress of Kaesong. As Kaesong has been occupied by various states throughout centuries, its name has changed. It was in the realm of the Mahan confederacy, and was referred to as Busogap during the Goguryeo era. Before the strength of Baekje reverted to the southwest - specifically to Jungnyeong, Mungyeong Saejae, and Asan Bay in 475 - the area had been a part of Baekje for about 100 years.
However, it became a part of the Silla empire in 555, the 16th year of Jinheung of Silla's reign, and its name was changed to Song'ak-gun sometime during this period. According to the Samguk Sagi, when a castle was built at the site in 694, the third year of Hyoso of Silla's reign, Kaesong was referred to as "Song'ak (송악; 松嶽)". Therefore, it is assumed that the name Song'ak had been in use since some time before then.
Goryeo Silla began to decline in the late 9th century, and a period of rival warlords ensued. In 898, Kaesong fell under the hand of Gung Ye, the founder of his short-lived state, Taebong, and then became a part of Goryeo in 919 at the hand of its’ founder, Wang Geon, who was enthroned as Taejo of Goryeo. Taejo established the capital to the south of Song'ak, and incorporated Kaesong’s name into Song'ak by calling it "Gaeju". In 919, Kaesong became the national capital. In 960, the 11th year of Gwangjong of Goryeo's reign, the city was renamed Gaegyeong, and in 995, the 14th year of Seonjong of Goryeo's reign, it was called "Gaesong-bu" in reference to the local districts of Song'ak-gun and Gaesong-gun, which are different from the region of the pre-1945 Gaesong-ri, Seo-myeon, Kaepung-gun area. In 1010, the first year of Hyeonjong of Goryeo's reign, the palace and houses were almost burnt down during the second conflict in the Goryeo–Khitan War, and so in 1018, Gaesong-bu was downgraded under "bu" system, and came to govern the three local areas known as “hyeons” - Jeongju, Deoksu, and Gangeum.
In the late 12th century, there was instability in both the government and the countryside. A slave named Manjŏk (or Manjeok) (만적; 萬積) led some other slaves who gathered outside Kaesong in 1198. The revolt plot was suppressed by Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn.Michael J. Seth. A concise history of Korea: from the neolithic period through the nineteenth century. pp. 99–102. Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. When Yi Song-gye overthrew Goryeo in 1392 and established Joseon as Taejo of Joseon, he moved the Korean capital from Kaesong to Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) in 1394.
20th century
Kaesong remained a part of Gyeonggi Province until the Korean War. When Korea was partitioned at the 38th parallel after World War II, most of Kaesong's territory was at the south of the border (inside South Korea). In contrast, a small portion to the north was within North Korea. However, the battle of Kaesong-Munsan was won by the Korean People's Army (KPA) in the first days of the Korean War. UN Forces recaptured the city on 9 October 1950 during the pursuit of the KPA that followed the successful Inchon landings. UN Forces abandoned the city on 16 December 1950 during the withdrawal to the Imjin River following the Chinese People's Volunteer Army intervention in the war. Kaesong would remain under Chinese/North Korean control until the end of the war.
Ceasefire negotiations began in Kaesong on 10 July 1951, but were moved to Panmunjom, southeast of the city, on 25 October 1951. The Korean Armistice Agreement signed on 27 July 1953 recognised North Korean control over Kaesong making it the only city to change control from South Korea to North Korea as a result of the war. Postwar Kaesong and the part of Kyonggi Province that came to be occupied was organized into "Kaesong Region" (Kaesŏng Chigu; 개성 지구; 開城 地區). In 1957, Kaesong became a "Directly Governed City" (Kaesŏng Chikhalsi; 개성 직할시; 開城 直轄市).
21st century
In 2002, Kaesŏng Industrial Region was formed from part of Kaesong. In 2003, the remaining part of Kaesong (excluding the Industrial Region) became part of North Hwanghae Province. The city is close to the Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea.
In October 2019, Kaesong became a "Special City".
Geography
Located in the center of Korea, Kaesong is the southernmost city of North Korea. It is bordered by Kaepung, Changpung, Panmun, and Kumchon counties. Kanghwa Island of Incheon Municipality lies just south, beyond a narrow channel. It covers an area of 1,309 km2, the urban district is surrounded by Songak (Songak-san; 송악산; 松嶽山) (489 m) and Pongmyong mountains. The city center surrounds the much smaller Mt. Janam (103 m), on which is located the city's Kim Il Sung statue.
In the northern part of Kaesong, the end of the Ahobiryŏng range creates the northernmost border of Kaesong City. This range consists of Mts. Chŏnma (757 m), Sŏnggŏ, Myoji (764 m), Suryong (716 m), Chesŏk (749 m), Hwajang (558 m), and Ogwan. With the exception of the mountainous northeastern region, however, most areas of Kaesong consist of low hills with heights less than 100 meters A.S.L.
The Imjin River flows along the northeastern border line of the city and the Ryesong River (禮成江) (Ryeseong-gang; 례성강) (transliterated in South Korea as Yeseong-gang; 예성강) runs along the western border to the mouth of the Han River. In addition to the two rivers, small and large rivers and streams such as the Samich'ŏn, Wŏlamch'ŏn, Chukbaech'ŏn, Kŭmsŏngch'ŏn, and Sach'ŏn rivers drain into the Han. The river basin located in the southwest of Kaesong has spacious alluvial plains such as P'ungdŏkbŏl, Singwangbŏl, and Samsŏngbŏl.
The geology consists of the Proterozoic, Cenozoic, and Paleozoic strata and Mesozoic intrusive granite. The underground resources include gold, zinc, copper, fluorspar, limestone, granite, and kaolin. The soil comprises generally brown forest soil while the areas drained by Yesŏng, Imjin, and Han rivers consist of mostly alluvial and saline soil. The climate is generally warm and moderate, with an average annual temperature of around 10 °C. The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of −5.9 °C, while the hottest month is August, with an average temperature of 24.7 °C. The average annual rainfall ranges from 1,300 to 1,400 millimeters. The duration of frost-free period is 180 days—the longest in North Korea. About 55% of Kaesong is forested (80% of the trees are pines), and 40 species of mammals and 250 birds inhabit the area.
Climate Kaesong has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dwa), with cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers with abundant rainfall.
Administrative divisions Before 2002, what is now Kaesong Directly Governed City was divided into one city (Kaesŏng itself) and one county and two wards: Changpung County, Kaepung-guyok and Panmun-guyok. In 2003, P'anmun-gun and part of Kaesong-si were separated from Kaesŏng Directly Governed City and merged to form Kaesong Industrial Region. The remaining part of Kaesŏng joined North Hwanghae Province in 2002. Kaesong is currently divided into 24 administrative districts known as Dong, as well as three villages ("ri"). After Kaesong promoted to Special City, Changpung County, Kaepung-guyok and Panmun-guyok return to Kaesong.
Koryŏ-dong (고려동/高麗洞): Anhwasa temple is located here. Haeun-dong (해운동/海雲洞): Named after pavilion called Haeunru. Chanam-dong (자남동/子男洞): Named after Mount Chanam. Kwanhun-dong (관훈동/冠訓洞): The place was named as such due to the fact that the place had a 'Hunryonwon' (an institution that hired military officials and soldiers during the Joseon dynasty) and Gwaegwanhyon (also called, 'Gatgoljae', a place where Goryeo scholars protested by refusing to take the Gwageo and take off their gat hats). Manwŏl-tong (만월동/滿月洞): Named after Manwoldae. Naesŏng-dong (내성동/內城洞): Named after Naeseong of Kaesong city walls. Naman-dong (남안동/南安洞): Named as such because it was comfortably in the southern plains of Namdaemun (Kaesong). Nammun-dong (남문동/南門洞): Named after Namdaemun (Kaesong). The Bell of Yonbok Temple is located here. Namsan-dong (남산동/南山洞) Pangjik-tong (방직동/紡織洞) Posŏn-dong (보선동/保善洞) Pugan-dong (북안동/北安洞): Named as such because it was comfortably in the northern plains of Namdaemun (Kaesong). Kaesong Students' and Children's Palace is located here. Pusan-dong (부산동/扶山洞) Ryonghŭng-dong (룡흥동/龍興洞) Ryongsan-dong (룡산동/龍山洞) Songak-tong (송악동/松嶽洞) Sŏngnam-dong (성남동/城南洞) Sŏnjuk-tong (선죽동/善竹洞) Sŭngjŏn-dong (승전동/勝戰洞) Tonghŭng-dong (동흥동/東興洞) Tonghyŏn-dong (동현동/銅峴洞) Ŭndŏk-tong (은덕동/恩德洞) Unhak-tong (운학동/雲鶴洞) Yŏkchŏn-dong (역전동/驛前洞) Pagyŏn-ni (박연리/朴淵里) Samgŏ-ri (삼거리/三巨里) Tŏgam-ni (덕암리/德岩里)
Culture
Landmarks
Kaesong is home to the World Heritage Site Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong. Koryo Songgyungwan University (Light Industry), Communist University and Art College are located in Kaesong. The Koryo Museum, housed in the city's old Confucian academy, contains many priceless Goryeo arts and cultural relics (although many are copies, with the originals held in the vaults of the Korean Central History Museum in Pyongyang).
As the former capital of Goryeo, the tombs of almost all of the Goryeo kings are located in the area, though most are not accessible; the heavily reconstructed Tomb of King Wanggon, belonging to the dynasty's founder, Taejo of Goryeo, is located to the west of the city in Kaepung-gun. Other notable tombs include those of kings Hyejong of Goryeo (the Sollung Royal Tomb), Gyeongjong of Goryeo (Yongrung Royal Tomb), Seongjong of Goryeo (Kangrung Royal Tomb), Hyeonjong of Goryeo (Sollung Royal Tomb), Munjong of Goryeo (Kyongrung Royal Tomb), and Gongmin of Goryeo (Tomb of King Kongmin). Kaesong also contains North Korea's only two royal tombs dating to the Joseon: the Hurung Royal Tomb, belonging to the dynasty's second king, Jeongjong of Joseon, and the Cherung Royal Tomb, containing the remains of Queen Sinui, wife of the dynasty's founder, Yi Songgye (Taejo of Joseon). The two final tombs, despite belonging to members of the Joseon royal family, were excluded from the World Heritage Site Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty because of their location in North Korea.
Cuisine