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Rason

Field	Value
name	Rason
native_name	라선시
native_name_lang	ko
settlement_type	Special city
official_name	라선특별시 Rason Special City
translit_lang1	Korean
translit_lang1_type	Chosŏn'gŭl
translit_lang1_info	라선특별시
translit_lang1_type1	Hancha
translit_lang1_info1	{{linktext	羅	先	特	別	市}}
translit_lang1_type2	McCune-Reischauer
translit_lang1_info2	Rasŏn T'ŭkpyŏlsi
translit_lang1_type3	Revised Romanization
translit_lang1_info3	Raseon Teukbyeolsi
image_skyline	Rason montage.png
image_caption	Bipaseom Island (top), Imperial Hotel and Casino (bottom left), Rason Hotel (bottom right)
image_map
image_map1	Rason Map 2020.png
dot_x		dot_y =
pushpin_map
pushpin_label_position
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	North Korea
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Kwanbuk
leader_party	WPK
leader_title	Municipal Party Committee Chief Secretary
leader_name	Shin Young-cheol{{Cite web	title=권력기구도
location	Seoul	publisher=Political and Military Analysis Division, Intelligence and Analysis Bureau; Ministry of Unification	date=June 2025	access-date=19 October 2025	url=https://nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr/nkp/pge/ps/ps.do?menuId=PO009}}
leader_title2	Municipal People's Committee Chairman
leader_name2	Shin Chang-il
established_title
established_title1
established_title2
area_magnitude
unit_pref
area_total_km2	746
area_land_km2
area_total_dunam
elevation_footnotes	tags--
elevation_m	27
population_as_of	2019
population_footnotes
population_total	205000
population_density_km2	275
population_blank1_title	Dialect
population_blank1	Hamgyŏng
timezone	Pyongyang Time
utc_offset	+9
postal_code_type
blank_name	ISO Code
blank_info	KP-13

Note

the North Korean city

Rason (formerly Rajin-Sŏnbong; ) is a North Korean special city and ice-free port in the Sea of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean on the northeast tip of North Korea. It is in the Kwanbuk region and location of the Rason Special Economic Zone.

In South Korean pronunciation, the initial "R" of the name is pronounced as "N", (나선, Naseon) as per standard Korean phonology. In 2000, the name was shortened from "Rajin-Sŏnbong" to "Rason". During the 1930s, the Japanese called it Rashin; at that time, it was an important port at the end of a railroad line. It fell under the control of the Red Army on 14 August 1945.

Before 1991, Rason was used by the Soviet Union as an alternative warm-water port in case Vladivostok was unavailable. The Soviet naval facilities were built starting in 1979. From 1993 to 2004, it was administered separately from North Hamgyŏng as the directly governed city (chikhalsi) of Rason. Prior to 1993 and from 2004 to 2009, the city had been part of the North Hamgyŏng Province. Since 2010, the city is a "special city", again breaking from provincial control, but different from its older designation as a directly governed city. What this means in practice is unclear.

Rason borders Hunchun county in Jilin province of China and Khasansky District in Primorsky Krai of Russia. China is making investments in the port as it gives it access to the Sea of Japan. In July 2011, North Korea allowed China's domestic trade cargo to be shipped via its port of Rajin from northeast to east China. Coal is shipped from nearby Chinese mines to Shanghai. A casino by the sea caters to Chinese visitors.

Administrative divisions

Rason is divided into two district (kuyŏk).

[[Rajin-guyok|Rajin-guyŏk]] (라진구역; 羅津區域)

Anhwa-dong (안화동 / 安和洞)
Anju-dong (안주동 / 安住洞)
Jigyŏng-dong (지경동 / 地境洞)
Junghyŏn-dong (중현동 / 中峴洞)
Changphyŏng-dong (창평동 / 倉坪洞)
Chŏnggye-dong (청계동 / 淸溪洞)
Hahyŏn-dong (하현동 / 下峴洞)
Haebang-dong (해방동 / 解放洞)
Kwangok-dong (관곡동 / 寬谷洞)
Namsan-dong (남산동 / 南山洞)
Tongmyŏng-dong (동명동 / 東明洞)
Sanghyŏn-dong (상현동 / 上峴洞)
Sinan-dong (신안동 / 新安洞)
Sinhae-dong (신해동 / 新海洞)
Sinhŭng-dong (신흥동 / 新興洞)
Songphyŏng-dong (송평동 / 松坪洞)
Yŏkchŏn-dong (역전동 / 驛前洞)
Yuhyŏn-dong (유현동 / 踰峴洞)
Muchang-ri (무창리 / 武倉里)
Huchang-ri (후창리 / 厚倉里)

[[Sonbong-guyok|Sŏnbong-guyŏk]] (선봉군; 先鋒郡)

Sŏnbong-ŭp (선봉읍 / 先鋒邑)
Tuman'gang-rodongjagu (두만강로동자구 / 豆滿江勞動者區)
Ungsang-rodongjagu (웅상로동자구 / 雄尙勞動者區)
Chosal-li (조산리 / 造山里)
Hahoe-ri (하회리 / 下檜里)
Hayŏp'yŏng-ri (하여평리 / 下汝坪里)
Hongŭi-ri (홍의리 / 洪儀里)
Kulp'o-ri (굴포리 / 屈浦里)
Paekhang-ri (백학리 / 白鶴里)
Pup'o-ri (부포리 / 鮒浦里)
Sahoe-ri (사회리 / 四會里)
Uam-ri (우암리 / 牛岩里)
Wŏnjŏng-ri (원정리 / 元汀里)

Climate

Rason has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dwb).

|access-date = 15 January 2018 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180116140811/https://en.climate-data.org/location/4765/ |archive-date = 16 January 2018}}

Port

The Korean People's Navy maintains a naval training base at the Rajin Port in the city of Rason. In addition, a Chinese company in 2017 leased a dock for 10 years at the port. This port may also be known as the Port of Rajin.

Military activity

Since North Korea joined the Russo-Ukrainian war, Rason and the wider area surrounding it which borders Russia has been used as a way to transfer arms shipments and manpower to Russia.

Tourism

Since 2025, North Korea has allowed tourism for everyone except American and South Korean citizens to visit the area. The YPT's plans were to immediately open the entire city with Chinese tourists expected first. Given the recent opening, there is no tourism data. However it is confirmed that there are large amounts of Russian and Chinese tourists.

Economy

Foreign investments

The Rason Emperor Hotel and Casino is a resort and casino in Rason owned by the Emperor Group, a diversified Hong Kong based commercial group.

Oil refinery

Rajin Oil Refinery is the largest oil refinery in North Korea. Although North Korea itself lacks oil wells, they can and do import oil from other countries to supply their refineries. Large oil tankers are spotted multiple times unloading at the Rajin port.

Mining

Rason has a number of mineral resources within the locality, including coal, iron, magnesite, and clay.

Ship building

Rason is home to No 28 Shipyard Najin, a shipbuilder and supplier to the Korean People's Navy.

Transport

Rail

Rajin Station is on the Pyongra Line and Hambuk Line. The Hongui Line was opened in 1959, connecting Rason with the Russian Khasan on the Tumen River; the river is the natural North Korea–Russia border.

Road

The Tumen River Bridge connects between Hunchun and Rason.

Sister cities

China Hunchun, China

References

Bibliography

References

(October 18, 2019). "朝鲜罗先市".
Andray Abrahamian. (September 2011). "Report on Rason Special Economic Zone". Choson Exchange.
Robinson, Thomas W.. (January 1982). "The Soviet Union and Asia in 1981". Asian Survey.
(1980). "The Annual Register of World Events 1979". [[Longman]]s Group Limited.
(5 January 2010). "Rasun Becomes Special City". Daily NK.
(18 March 2010). "Strategic Implications of China's Access to the Rajin Port". The Jamestown Foundation.
(4 July 2011). "DPRK allows China domestic trade cargo to ship via its port". China Daily.
Wong, Edward. (12 October 2011). "Tending a Small Patch of Capitalism in North Korea". The New York Times.
. ["라선시 – 북한지명사전"](http://nk.joins.com/map/i207.htm). *[[JoongAng Ilbo]]*.
"China leases Rason port for 10 years". North Korean Economy Watch.
(14 June 2024). "Kim Sent Russia Millions of Artillery Shells, South Korea Says". Bloomberg.
ifangbremer. (2025-01-16). "North Korea opens border city of Rason to almost all travelers: Tour agency {{!}} NK News".
(30 October 2019). "Gambling as usual up North for Emperor Group casino". South China Morning Post.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

rason cities-in-north-hamgyong-province directly-governed-cities-and-special-administrative-regions-of-north-korea port-cities-and-towns-in-north-korea ports-and-harbours-of-the-sea-of-japan

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