| Ryanggang Province | |
| Native Name Lang: | ko |
| Settlement Type: | Province |
| Translit Lang1: | Korean |
| Translit Lang1 Type: | Chosŏn'gŭl |
| Translit Lang1 Info: | Korean: 량강도 |
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | Hancha |
| Translit Lang1 Info1: | Korean: {{linktext|兩|江|道 |
| Translit Lang1 Type2: | McCune-Reischauer |
| Translit Lang1 Info2: | Ryanggang-do |
| Translit Lang1 Type3: | Revised Romanization |
| Translit Lang1 Info3: | Ryanggang-do |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | North Korea |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kwannam |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Hyesan |
| Parts Type: | Subdivisions |
| Parts: | 2 cities; 10 counties |
| Leader Party: | WPK |
| Leader Title: | Party Committee Chairman |
| Leader Name: | Ri Sang-won[1] |
| Leader Title2: | Provincial People's Committee Chairman |
| Leader Name2: | Kim Chol Nam[2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 14,317 |
| Population Total: | 719,269 |
| Population As Of: | 2008 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Pyongyang Time |
| Utc Offset: | +9 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Dialect |
| Blank Info Sec1: | Hamgyŏng |
Ryanggang Province (Ryanggangdo;, pronounced as /ko/) is a province in North Korea. The province is bordered by China (Jilin) to the north, North Hamgyong to the east, South Hamgyong to the south, and Chagang to the west. Ryanggang was formed in 1954, when it was separated from South Hamgyŏng. The provincial capital is Hyesan. In South Korean usage, "Ryanggang" is spelled and pronounced as "Yanggang", pronounced as /ko/).
Along the northern border with China runs the Yalu River and the Tumen River. In between the rivers, and the source of both, is Paektu Mountain, revered by both the Koreans and Manchurians as the mythic origin of each people. The North Korean government claims that Kim Jong-il was born there when his parents were at a Communist anti-Japanese resistance camp at the mountain. The North Korean-Chinese border for 20miles east of the mountain is "dry, remote and mountainous, barely patrolled," making it one of the crossing areas for refugees from North Korea into China, although most, including refugees from Ryanggang itself, prefer to cross over the Tumen River.[3]
Although all of North Korea is economically depressed after Soviet dissolution, Ryanggang province, along with neighboring North Hamgyong and South Hamgyong provinces, are the poorest, forming North Korea's "Rust Belt" of industrialized cities with factories now decrepit and failing. The worst hunger of the 1990s famine years occurred in these three provinces, and most refugees into China come from the Rust Belt region.[3]
See main article: Ryanggang explosion. An explosion and mushroom cloud was reportedly detected in Kimhyŏngjik-gun on 9 September 2004, the 56th anniversary of the creation of North Korea. This was reported a few days later on 12 September.
In recent years, power supply problems have become prevalent in Ryanggang.
Ryanggang is divided into 2 cities (si) and 10 counties (kun). Each entity is listed below in English, Chosŏn'gŭl, and Hanja.
| Image | Name | Chosongul | Hanja | Population (2008)[4] | Subdivisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | ||||||
| Hyesan (capital) | 혜산시 | 惠山市 | 192,680 | 25 dong, 4 ri | ||
| Samjiyon | 삼지연시 | 三池淵市 | 31,471 | 10 dong, 6 ri | ||
| County | ||||||
| Kapsan County | 갑산군 | 甲山郡 | 70,611 | 1 up, 4 rodongjagu, 20 ri | ||
| Kimhyonggwon County | 김형권군 | 金亨權郡 | 37,528 | 1 up, 1 rodongjagu, 17 ri | ||
| Kimhyongjik County | 김형직군 | 金亨稷郡 | 57,729 | 1 up, 6 rodongjagu, 9 ri | ||
| Kimjongsuk County | 김정숙군 | 金貞淑郡 | 42,618 | 1 up, 2 rodongjagu, 22 ri | ||
| Paegam County | 백암군 | 白岩郡 | 67,683 | 1 up, 19 rodongjagu, 4 ri | ||
| Pochon County | 보천군 | 普天郡 | 37,225 | 1 up, 2 rodongjagu, 17 ri | ||
| Pungso County | 풍서군 | 豊西郡 | 44,112 | 1 up, 3 rodongjagu, 17 ri | ||
| Samsu County | 삼수군 | 三水郡 | 40,311 | 1 up, 1 rodongjagu, 23 ri | ||
| Taehongdan County | 대홍단군 | 大紅湍郡 | 35,596 | 1 up, 9 rodongjagu | ||
| Unhung County | 운흥군 | 雲興郡 | 61,705 | 1 up, 10 rodongjagu, 10 ri | ||