Rajin-Sonbong Region
View of Rajin City from a hillside in a
coastal area.
(This place commands the best panoramic view of the City and the sea)
Rajin-Sonbong, a coastal free trade zone at the northern tip of the DPRK, is Northeast Asia's up and coming business location. The Rajin-Sonbong "Golden Triangle" Zone, created in 1991, was chosen by the DPRK Government to be a catalyst for its international business growth. The zone is also the hub of the Tumen River area, which borders China, Russia and the DPRK.
The zone forms a 746sq km triangle from Rajin port in the south to the estuary of the Tumen River in the north east and upstream along the Tumen to the Chinese border at Wonjong in the north. This region with an area of 19sq km has been ear-marked for industrial development. It has already made business contracts with more than 100 international firms amounting to about 700 million dollars.
Rajin Port in the evening glow
Rajin port has 13 berths that can accommodate ships of 5,000-20,000 tons.
Panorama of the Sungri Chemical Plant Oil Refinery, Sonbong,
the DPRK. It has a 2 million-ton storage capacity.
The current population of the zone is 200,000. The area's temperature is 3.6C higher than inland region under an oceanic climate, and offers the best climate condition for marine sports in summer.
Sonbong City, showing oil product wharves in the foreground, and the city center and its fishing port in the background.The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization delivers heavy fuel oil to the port.
One of the commanding views in this region is a 120km-long coastline. The zone has eight harbors and 10 capes, 21 islands including Taecho Island, Shihae, Pipa, Kulpo and Uam, 30km-stretched white sand beach and various cliffs which dot in 30 places with 40km along the seaside. It has West Bonpo and East Bonpo, largest natural lakes on the Korean Peninsula.
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Other local scenic attractions include:
On-site economic inspection visits to small- and medium-size factories in the zone producing a variety of products including garments, foodstuffs, oil products, furniture and marine products;
View of the Taehun Marine Products Processing Center. By the end of the year, the center will be included in a tourist course.
View of a five-star 26-story international hotel under
construction, with 180 million dollars invested in by a Hong Kong-based international.
Mt. Chilbo, famed for its sunrise and graceful natural forests;
Various hot & mineral springs, offering a good potential for developing spa resorts;
The Rajin Hotel, an international standard hotel which opened in July 1996, (left) and Conference facilities, the Pipa Guesthouse, Sonbong (right).
A1 Island Sanctuary for Sea Birds, Uam seal sanctuary and the Kulpo ruins.
The
seaside around Pipa Island.
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