Special cities of North Korea
| Special city | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Category | Unitary State |
| Location | Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Number | 4 Special Cities |
| Populations | 205,000 (Rason) – 3,255,388 (Pyongyang) |
| Areas | 710 square miles (1,800 km2) (Rason) – 400 square miles (1,000 km2) (Pyongyang) |
| Government | Single-Party Government |
| Subdivisions | District, County |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Administrative divisions of North Korea |
|---|
| Provincial level |
|
Province (도 道 to) |
|
Direct-administered city (직할시 直轄市 chikhalsi) |
|
Special city (특별시 特別市 t'ŭkpyŏlsi) |
| Municipal level |
|
Special-level city (특급시 特級市 t'ŭkkŭpsi) |
|
City (시 市 si) |
|
County (군 郡 kun) |
|
Ward (구역 區域 kuyŏk) |
|
District (구 區 ku) |
|
Area (지구 地區 chigu) |
| Submunicipal level |
|
Town (읍 邑 ŭp) |
|
Neighbourhood (동 洞 tong) |
|
Village (리 里 ri) |
|
Workers' District (로동자구 勞動者區 rodongjagu) |
Special cities are one of the first-level administrative division within North Korea. There are 3 top-level cities in North Korea: Pyongyang, Rason and Nampo.
Position in hierarchy and types
Special cities are the higher-ranked administrative divisions in North Korea. There are three kinds of special cities in North Korea.
| Type | Chosongul | Hanja | McCune–Reischauer | Level | City names | No. of cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct-administered city | 직할시 | 直轄市 | Chikhalsi | First | Pyongyang | 1 |
| Special city | 특별시 | 特別市 | T'ŭkpyŏlsi | First | Rason, Nampo | 2 |
| Special-level city | 특급시 | 特級市 | T'ŭkkŭpsi | Second | Kaesong | 1 |
The first level cities have equal status to the provinces.
List of special cities
| Name | Chosongul | Hanja | Type | ISO | Population | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) | Capital | Region | Province related | Year of assignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyongyang | 평양직할시 | 平壤直轄市 | Directly-administered city | KP-01 | 3,255,388 | 3,194 | 1,019 | Chung-guyok | Kwanso | South Pyongan | 1946 |
| Rason | 라선특별시 | 羅先特別市 | Special city | KP-13 | 205,000 | 746 | 275 | Rajin-guyok | Kwanbuk | North Hamgyong | 2010 |
| Nampo | 남포특별시 | 南浦特別市 | Special city | KP-?? | 366,815 | 829 | 442 | Waudo-guyok | Kwanso | South Pyongan | 2011 |
| Kaesong | 개성특급시 | 開城特級市 | Special-level city | none | 308,440 | 1,309 | 235 | Haeso | North Hwanghae | 2003 | |
- Notes
- Pyongyang is classified as a capital city (chikhalsi), not a special city as Seoul in South Korea. In fact, the North Korean national newspaper and broadcasting say "Pyongyang Chikhalsi". Some sources, most of them come from South Korea, refer the city as a special city; however these are the old sources. Moreover, South Korea has corrected the city as a directly governed city, according to a South Korean newspaper in 1994. Also note that the official name of Pyongyang would be "Pyongyang-si" in the Republic of Korea, which officially claims to represent the entire peninsula.
- Special-level city is the second level administrative division. Kaesong is still a part of North Hwanghae Province.
- Namp'o is officially part of South Pyongan province.
List of defunct special cities
| Division name | Chosongul | Hancha | Province absorb into | Administered Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chongjin | 청진시 | 淸津市 | North Hamgyong | 1960–1967, 1977–1985 |
| Hamhung | 함흥시 | 咸興市 | South Hamgyong | 1960–1967 |
See also
References
The sources for this section are Chosun Ilbo's pages 행정구역 현황 ("Haengjeong Guyeok Hyeonhwang") and 행정구역 개편 일지 ("Haengjeong Guyeok Gaepyeon Ilji") (in Korean only; updated 2004).
Further reading
- Dormels, Rainer. North Korea's Cities: Industrial facilities, internal structures and typification. Jimoondang, 2014. ISBN 978-89-6297-167-5
| Regions | |
|---|---|
| Provinces | |
| Direct-administered city | |
| Special cities | |
| Special administrative regions | |
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