Tongchon is a kun

Administrative divisions of North Korea

The administrative divisions of North Korea are organized into three hierarchical levels. Many of the units have equivalents in the system of South Korea. At the highest level are nine provinces, two directly governed cities, and three special administrative divisions. The second-level divisions...

, or county, in Kangwon province, North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

. It abuts the Sea of Japan

Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...

 (East Sea of Korea) to the north and east. Famous people from Tongchon include former Hyundai

Hyundai

Hyundai ) is a global conglomerate company, part of the Korean chaebol, that was founded in South Korea by one of the most famous businessmen in Korean history: Chung Ju-yung...

 chairman Chung Ju-yung

Chung Ju-yung

Chung Ju-yung was a South Korean businessman and the the founder of Hyundai Group.-Early life:Chung Ju-yung was born in Tongchon, Kangwŏn province , during a time when Korea was under Japanese rule. Born to a large impoverished family of peasants, he was the oldest out of six children...

, who is believed to have been born there.

Tourism

The region has long been a popular destination due to the proximity of Kumgangsan

Kumgangsan

Kŭmgangsan , Geumgangsan, or Mount Geumgang is a -high mountain in Kangwon-do, North Korea. Its name means "a firm heart in the face of truth". It is about 50 km away from South Korea's Sokcho in Gangwon-do. It is one of the best-known mountains in North Korea...

 mountain and, in recent years, tourists from South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 have passed through the area in great numbers.

Physical features

The terrain is mountainous in the west, sloping down to the coastal plains (including the Tongchon Plain and Hupkok Plain) in the east. The plains are used for rice cultivation. The area is prone to fog. As elsewhere along the Kangwon coast, there are various lagoon

Lagoon

A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...

s.

Economy

Due to the extensive plains, agriculture is a major local industry; in addition to rice, the county produces barley, wheat, oats, millet, maize, soybeans, and potatoes. Lumbering and fishing also play a role.

Transport

Road
A highway runs along the coastline.

Rail
Tongchon Station

Tongchon Station

Tongchon Station is a railway station in Tongchon county, Kangwon province, North Korea. It is on the Kumgangsan Line....

 is on the Kumgangsan Line

Kumgangsan Line

The Kumgangsan Line is a railway line in North Korea, running from Anbyon to Kosong. It was formerly part of the Donghae Bukbu Line....

.