Sinuiju
North Korean border city and capital of North P'yŏngan province.
Sinŭiju is a city in North Korea, serving as the capital of North P'yŏngan province. It lies directly across the Yalu River from Dandong, Liaoning, China, forming a key international border crossing. The city developed into a major settlement during the period of Japanese colonial rule, built at the terminus of a railway bridge over the Amnok River. Its name means “New Ŭiju,” as it is located about 11 kilometers south-southwest of the historic town of Ŭiju. As an open port, Sinŭiju grew commercially through the logging industry, which used the Amnok River to transport lumber. A chemical industry later emerged following the construction of the hydroelectric Sup'ung Dam upstream. During the Korean War, after being forced from P'yŏngyang, Kim Il Sung and his government temporarily relocated the capital to Sinŭiju. As United Nations Command forces advanced, the government moved again, this time to Kanggye. On 7 November 1950, the United States Air Force conducted an aerial bombardment that destroyed 95 percent of the city. Sinŭiju has since been rebuilt. In 2018, a master plan for redevelopment was unveiled to Kim Jong Un, featuring high-rise buildings and parks centered on the road leading to statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. This plan has not been fully realized; completed work includes repaving roads to the statues, constructing a red circular apartment building behind them, and finishing the Sinŭiju Youth Open Air Theatre, though some industrial areas have seen reconstruction. The city is an important light industry center, with plants for enamelled ironware, textiles, paper, and afforestation. Its southwest harbor contains a shipyard that primarily dismantles ships for scrap. The Sinŭiju Cosmetics Factory is located in South Sinŭiju. A substantial portion of North Korea’s international trade, both legal and illegal, passes through Sinŭiju and Dandong. In 2026, a major greenhouse complex, the Sinŭiju Combined Greenhouse Farm, was completed on Wihwa Island, spanning about 450 hectares on land that had flooded in 2024. Sinŭiju is accessible from P'yŏngyang by air, railway, and road, and from Dandong by bridge or boat across the Yalu. The city’s airport has a single turf runway, and its railway station is the northern terminus of the P'yŏngŭi Line, connecting to China via the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge. A trolleybus line reopened in October 2020, runni
- location
- North Korea, on the Yalu River opposite Dandong, China
- capital_of
- North P'yŏngan province
- altitude
- 1 metre (4 feet) above sea level
- administrative_divisions
- 49 tong (neighbourhoods) and 9 ri (villages)
- climate
- Monsoonal humid continental (Köppen Dwa)
Lore & Background
Sinŭiju was developed as a major settlement during Japanese colonial rule at the terminus of a railway bridge across the Amrok River. It is located 11 km (7 miles) south by southwest of Ŭiju, the old city from whose name Sinŭiju (meaning 'New Ŭiju') derives. As an open port, it grew commercially with the logging industry using the Amnok River to transport lumber, and a chemical industry developed after the hydroelectric Sup'ung Dam was built further up the river. During the Korean War, after being driven from P'yŏngyang, Kim Il Sung and his government temporarily moved the capital to Sinŭiju, but as United Nations Command forces approached, the government moved again to Kanggye.
Reader's Guide
Sinŭiju’s significance derives from its role as a border city and a primary conduit for North Korea’s international trade, much of which moves between Sinŭiju and the Chinese city of Dandong across the Yalu River. The city developed as a major settlement during Japanese colonial rule, situated at the terminus of a railway bridge over the Amrok River, and its name means “New Ŭiju,” reflecting its location near the old city of Ŭiju. As an open port, it grew commercially through the logging industry, which used the river to transport lumber, and a chemical industry emerged after the construction of the Sup’ung Dam upstream. During the Korean War, Sinŭiju briefly served as the temporary capital after the government was driven from P’yŏngyang, but it was heavily bombed by United States forces in November 1950, destroying 95 percent of the city; it has since been rebuilt. In 2018, a master plan for redevelopment featuring high-rise buildings and parks was unveiled to Kim Jong Un, but only limited work, such as road repaving and the completion of the Sinuiju Youth Open Air Theatre, has been realized. The city is an important light industry center, hosting plants for enamelled ironware, textiles, paper, and an afforestation factory, along with a shipyard that primarily dismantles ships for scrap. The Sinŭiju Cosmetics Factory operates in South Sinŭiju. A trolleybus line, reopened in October 2020 using new vehicles derived from the Pyongyang Chollima-321 model, connects the city center to the railway station.
Did You Know?
- The city's name means 'New Ŭiju' and derives from the old city of Ŭiju, located 11 km away.
- Sinŭiju has a Ferris wheel overlooking the Yalu River that is reportedly broken.
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