Haeju

About Haeju

Haeju is a city located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay in North Korea. It is the administrative centre of South Hwanghae Province. As of 2008, the population of the city is estimated to be 273,300. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became a strategic port in Sino-Korean trade. Haeju has chemical-related enterprises and a cement factory.

The area around Haeju is known to have been inhabited since the Neolithic period, as shellmounds, pottery, and stone tools have been found at Ryongdangp'o. During the early Three kingdoms period, it was briefly governed by a small chieftain, when it was known as "Naemihol" (內米忽郡). In 757, however, it was conquered by the Goguryeo kingdom, who later lost it to Silla. It was under the Goryeo dynasty's King T'aejo that it received its current name.

Sohyon Academy (소현서원) was a Confucian academy founded near Haeju by the famous Joseon dynasty scholar Yi I (1536–84) after his retirement. It is situated in Unbyong Valley, a part of Soktamgugok (Nine valleys of pools and rocks).

According to the North Korean government, their southward offensive on the first day of the Korean War on 25 June 1950...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.