Wŏnsan

Wŏnsan city and port in southeastern North Korea, on an inlet of Korea Bay. It has a natural harbor and is a commercial center of an agricultural and gold-mining region. Fishing is an important industry, and railroad shops, sake breweries, fish-processing plants, and a large oil refinery are here. Rice, fish, lumber, graphite, and soybeans are exported. Points of interest include an airfield and an experimental station for marine products. Wŏnsan was developed into a modern port by the Japanese; in 1883 it was opened to foreign trade. It served as a Japanese naval base during World War II (1939-1945) and sustained heavy damage during the Korean War (1950-1953). Population (1993) 300,148.