Hwanggumpyong Island
North Korean territory bordering China
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hwanggumpyong (Korean: 황금평, simplified Chinese: 黄金坪; traditional Chinese: 黃金坪; pinyin: Huángjīnpíng), formerly called Hwanggumpyong Island (Korean: 황금평도, simplified Chinese: 黄金坪岛; traditional Chinese: 黃金坪島; pinyin: Huángjīnpíng Dǎo), is a North Korean free-trade zone bordering China. The area used to be a tidal island in the Yalu River. However, due to continuous deposition of river-borne sediments, the northern portion of the former island is now permanently connected with the Chinese city of Dandong. A steel mesh fence has been built to mark the land border between North Korea and China.[1]
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 Interactive map of Hwanggumpyong | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Yalu River |
| Coordinates | 39.96°N 124.31°E |
| Area | 11.45 km2 (4.42 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Province | North P'yŏngan |
| County | Sindo County |
 Republic of Korea (claimed) | |
| Province | North Pyeongan |
| County-level division | Yongcheon |
| Myeon | Sindo |
| Demographics | |
| Ethnic groups | Koreans |
Due to ethnic Koreans living on the island at the time of a 1962 border treaty, both China and North Korea agreed that the sovereignty of the island belongs to North Korea. The former river island is now a North Korean exclave on the otherwise Chinese side of the river.[2] The agreement is not recognized by South Korea, who continues to claim this island in accordance with its constitution[citation needed].
History
In June 2011, an agreement, negotiated by Gao Jingde, of Sunbase International Holdings Ltd,[3] with China was made to establish a joint free-trade area on Hwanggumpyong and Wihwa Islands, as well as the Chinese border area near Dandong.[4] By 2013, the site had been prepared, and a free-trade area of over 300 acres (120 ha) may be ready for operation in about two years.[5]