Happy TravellerWelcome to Nampo, the second largest city by population and an important seaport in North Korea. Located on the northern shore of the Taedong River, 15 km east of the river’s mouth, Nampo is approximately 50 km southwest of Pyongyang. Formerly known as Chinnampo, the city has a rich history dating back to the Three Kingdoms era when it was taken by Goguryeo. Today, Nampo is a bustling city with a wide range of industries and significant recent redevelopment.
One of the city’s main attractions is its economy. Nampo was originally a small fishing village that became a port for foreign trade in 1897, developing into a modern port in 1945 after World War II. With the rapid increase in state investment, the city’s industrial capacity grew. Some of the city’s industrial facilities include the Smelter Complex, Glass Corporation, Shipbuilding complex, Fishery Complex, and other central and local factories. Nampo is a center for the DPRK shipbuilding industry. North of the city are facilities for freight transportation, aquatic products, and fishery, and a sea salt factory. Apples grown in the city’s Ryonggang county are a famous local product.
Nampo is also known for its farming industry. As the city is located on the Taedong River, the surrounding area is well suited to agriculture. Land reclamation occurs along the river and is used for rice growing. The majority of fields sown are for grains, while around 20% is for vegetables. Various livestock are grown on cooperative farms, but also in private farms. The fishery industry in Nampo is one of the most important on the west coast.
The city has a rich history dating back to the Three Kingdoms era when it was taken by Goguryeo. During the Goryeo dynasty, the area was named Chungnampo for the village of Pogu, located to the south of Chungsan County. After the establishment of Joseon dynasty, the area belonged to Pyongan Province. In 1871, the General Sherman incident occurred when an American ship attempted to sail on the Taedong to Pyongyang to engage the Joseon dynasty with trade, but was declined. According to North Korean history, Kim Il-sung’s grandfather raised the alarm on the foreign ship and led the attack on it. The name of the city comes from the fishing village that was originally located in the Samhwa-hyon area of South Pyongan Province. The city was renamed to Chinnampo during the Japanese occupation of Korea, by adding the character 鎭 as during the First Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese landed in Nampo and defeated the Qing dynasty forces. The name was immediately reverted to Nampo after liberation to be rid of colonial legacies.
Nampo is divided into 5 guyŏk and 2 gun, which are in turn subdivided into dong and ri. According to the 2008 North Korea Census, a population of 366,815 lived in the city, of which 310,864 lived in urban areas and 55,951 lived in rural areas. The city is located on the west coast of Korea, and is mostly low-lying with 82% of the city below 50 metres elevation. There are mountains mostly in the south and east, which are generally below 100 metres above sea level, forming a wavy plain. The highest points in the city are on the Osok mountain range, with Osok-san at 566 m and Guksabong at 506 m. The many rivers and streams flowing through the city provide good conditions for agriculture. Underneath the city, there are iron, manganese, titanium along with other precious metals, including gold and silver.
Transportation in Nampo is mainly by road and rail. The Youth Hero Motorway connects Nampo to Pyongyang. The city has a trolleybus system which opened around 1982. The system has a main line, running from Nampo Stadium to the northeast of the city and a branch from the main line to the west of the city, near the salt pans. The only airport in Nampo is the military Onchŏn Air Base in Onchŏn-gun. Nampo is also known for its extensive shipbuilding capability, which along with cargo ships, also builds various warships. A submersible submarine-launched ballistic missile launch platform is based out of Nampo. The city also has a range of light industry, but the major companies are all invested in various forms of heavy industry.
In September 2020, a major uplifting of the city was completed, resulting in a seaside theme, with buildings mainly remodelled in blue, but also orange and browns. The strong local glass industry produced windows to glaze the apartment buildings. The supply of electricity, water and public transport was improved, as previously,
