# North Chosen Line

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The **North Chosen Line** – specifically, the **North Chosen West Line** (北鮮西部線, *Hokusen Seibu-sen*; 북선서부선, *Bukseon Seobu-seon*) and the **North Chosen East Line** (北鮮東部線, *Hokusen Tōbu-sen*; 북선동부선, *Bukseon Dongbu-seon*) – was a railway line of the [South Manchuria Railway](/source/South_Manchuria_Railway) in [Japanese-occupied Korea](/source/Korea_under_Japanese_rule) from 1933 to 1945. Following Japan's defeat in the [Pacific War](/source/Pacific_War) and the subsequent [partition of Korea](/source/Partition_of_Korea), the line, being located entirely in the [North](/source/North_Korea), was taken over by the [Korean State Railway](/source/Korean_State_Railway) as part of the [Hambuk Line](/source/Hambuk_Line).[1]

## History

See also: [Hamgyeong Line](/source/Hamgyeong_Line)

For the post-1945 history of the line, see [Hambuk Line](/source/Hambuk_Line).

In order to create the shortest possible route from [Japan](/source/Japan) to eastern [Manchuria](/source/Manchuria), the [Chosen Government Railway](/source/Chosen_Government_Railway) (*Sentetsu*) began construction of a line from [Unggi](/source/Sonbong_Station) (now Sŏnbong) to [Donggwanjin](/source/Kangalli_Station) via [Namyang](/source/Namyang_Station) in 1929. Named the **East Domun Line**, it reached Donggwanjin on 1 August 1933.[2] There, it connected with the **West Domun Line** that Sentetsu had nationalised from the [Domun Railway](/source/Domun_Railway) in 1929,[3] and the entire Hoeryeong−Unggi line was then redesignated as the **Domun Line**, and Donggwanjin Station was renamed to Donggwan Station.[2]

At the same time as the Namyang–Tonggwan section of the mainline was opened, a bridge was built over the [Tumen River](/source/Tumen_River) at Namyang, along with a line to [Tumen](/source/Tumen,_Jilin), [Manchukuo](/source/Manchukuo).[2] This line, called the [Namyang Gukgyeong Line](/source/Namyanggukkyong_Line) (Namyang Border Line),[1] connected Sentetsu to the [Manchukuo National Railway](/source/Manchukuo_National_Railway)'s new [Jingtu Line](/source/Changchun%E2%80%93Tumen_Railway) from [Xinjing](/source/Changchun) (now Changchun), capital of Manchukuo, to Tumen, that was also opened in 1933. This new route, using the northern port of Unggi, made the distance from [Japan](/source/Japan) to [Harbin](/source/Harbin) even shorter than via [Cheongjin](/source/Chongjin). After the opening of the Manchukuo National's [Tujia Line](/source/Tumen%E2%80%93Jiamusi_Railway) ([图佳铁路](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BE%E4%BD%B3%E9%93%81%E8%B7%AF)) from Tumen to [Jiamusi](/source/Jiamusi), also in 1933, an international passenger service from [Gyeongseong](/source/Gyeongseong) to [Botankou](/source/Mudanjiang) (Mudanjiang) via the Hamgyeong, Cheongjin, and Domun Lines, was inaugurated.

Just a few months after completion of the line from Unggi, on 1 October 1933 the management of Sentetsu's entire route from Cheongjin to Unggi was transferred to the South Manchuria Railway (*Mantetsu*).[4] On 1 November 1934, Mantetsu rearranged these lines, merging the Namyang Border Line with the Unggi−Namyang section of the Domun Line to create the **North Chosen East Line** (Unggi–Namyang–Tumen), with the Namyang–Sangsambong section becoming the North Chosen West Line.[5] In 1936, the "Asahi" express train between Xinjing and [Najin](/source/Rajin_Station) was inaugurated, to connect to the ferry from Najin to [Japan](/source/Japan).[5]

In addition to the connections to the Manchukuo National Railway at Sangsambong and Namyang, Mantetsu had a third connection to Manchukuo, via the privately owned [East Manchuria Railway](/source/East_Manchuria_Railway)'s bridge across the Tumen River at [Hunyung](/source/Hunyung_Station).[6]

Section Length Opened Original Owner Line to 1928 1929 1933 1934 – 1945 Sangsambong−Jongseong 9.1 km 1 December 1922 Domun Railway Domun Railway West Tomun Line (Sentetsu) Domun Line (Sentetsu) North Chosen West Line (Mantetsu) Jongseon−Donggwanjin 8.2 km 1 November 1924 Domun Railway Domun Railway West Tomun Line (Sentetsu) Domun Line (Sentetsu) North Chosen West Line (Mantetsu) Donggwanjin−Namyang 18.7 km 1 August 1933 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line Domun Line (Sentetsu) North Chosen West Line (Mantetsu) Namyang−Tumen 3.3 km 1 August 1933 Sentetsu - - Namyang Gukgyeong Line (Sentetsu) North Chosen East Line (Mantetsu) Namyang−Pungri 3.9 km 1 December 1932 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line (Sentetsu 1932–1933) Domun Line (Sentetsu) North Chosen East Line (Mantetsu) Pungri−Unseong 5.5 km 1 November 1932 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line (Sentetsu 1932–1933) Domun Line (Sentetsu) North Chosen East Line (Mantetsu) Unseong−Hunyung 24.7 km 20 October 1931 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line (Sentetsu 1931–1933) Domun Line (Sentetsu) North Chosen East Line (Mantetsu) Hunyung−Sinasan 39.8 km 1 October 1930 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line (Sentetsu 1930–1933) Domun Line (Sentetsu) North Chosen East Line (Mantetsu) Sinasan−Unggi 65.0 km 16 November 1929 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line (Sentetsu 1929–1933) Domun Line (Sentetsu) North Chosen East Line (Mantetsu)

Service on the line was suspended after the [Soviet](/source/Soviet_Union) invasion at the end of the [Pacific War](/source/Pacific_War). The damage sustained by the line during the war - including the destruction of the Tumen River bridges at both Hunyung and Sambong - was slow to be repaired due to strained relations between the Soviets and the Korean People's Committees; those two bridges have not been repaired to the present day. After the [partition of Korea](/source/Partition_of_Korea), the [Provisional People’s Committee for North Korea](/source/Provisional_People%E2%80%99s_Committee_for_North_Korea) nationalised all railways in the Soviet zone of occupation on 10 August 1946, and following the establishment of the [DPRK](/source/North_Korea), the [Korean State Railway](/source/Korean_State_Railway) was created in 1948.[7] After the end of the [Korean War](/source/Korean_War), the North Korean railway system was restructured, which included the rearrangement of several rail lines. This included the merging of the North Chosen West Line, the Namyang−Unggi section of the North Chosen East Line, and the [Ungna Line](/source/Ungna_Line) to create the present-day [Cheongjin](/source/Chongjin_Chongnyon_Station)−Namyang−[Rajin](/source/Rajin_Station) [Hambuk Line](/source/Hambuk_Line).[1] The Namyang−Tumen cross-border section of the North Chosen East Line was split off to create the [Namyang Gukgyeong Line](/source/Namyanggukkyong_Line).[1]

## Route

North Chosen West Line - stations as of 1945 Distance Station name Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date Original owner Connections 0.0 0.0 Sangsambong Sambong (after 1933) Jōsanhō Sanhō 상삼봉 삼봉 上三峰 三峰 5 January 1920 Domun Railway Sentetsu Hamgyeong Line Manchukuo National Railway Chaokai Line 3.2 3.2 Hasambong Kasanhō 하삼봉 下三峰 1 December 1922 Domun Railway Closed 1933 9.1 5.9 Jongseong Shōjō 종성 鍾城 1 December 1922 Domun Railway Mantetsu Tongpo Line 14.3 5.3 Soam Shōgan 소암 小岩 1 November 1924 Domun Railway Closed 1944 17.3 3.0 Donggwan Tōken 동관 東關 1 November 1924 Domun Railway Mantetsu Songpyeong Line 23.2 4.9 Sugupo Suigōho 수구포 水口浦 1 August 1933 Sentetsu 29.9 6.7 Gangyang Kōyō 강양 江陽 1 August 1933 Sentetsu 36.0 6.1 Namyang Nan'yō 남양 南陽 1 December 1932 Sentetsu Mantetsu North Chosen East Line

North Chosen East Line - stations as of 1945 Distance Station name Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date Original owner Connections 0.0 0.0 Tumen, Manchukuo Tomon 圖們 圖們 1933 Manchukuo National Railway Manchukuo National Rly Jingtu Line 3.3 3.3 Namyang Nan'yō 남양 南陽 1 December 1932 Sentetsu Mantetsu North Chosen West Line 7.2 3.9 Pungni Hōri 풍리 豊利 1 December 1932 Sentetsu 13.3 6.1 Seseon Seizen 세선 世仙 1 November 1932 Sentetsu 17.8 4.5 Unseong Onjō 운성 穏城 20 October 1931 Sentetsu 24.3 6.5 Pung'in Hōjin 풍인 豊仁 20 October 1931 Sentetsu 33.6 9.3 Hwangpa Kōha 황파 黄坡 20 October 1931 Sentetsu 43.2 9.6 Hunyung Kunjū 룬융 訓戎 1 October 1930 Sentetsu East Manchuria Railway 48.6 5.4 Hamyeon Kamen 하면 下面 1 October 1930 Sentetsu 52.9 4.3 Gyeongwon Keigen 경원 慶源 1 October 1930 Sentetsu 60.2 7.3 Nongpo Nōho 농포 農圃 1 October 1930 Sentetsu 64.0 3.8 Seungnyang Shōryō 승량 承良 1 October 1930 Sentetsu 72.4 8.4 Singeon Shinkan 신건 新乾 1 October 1930 Sentetsu 83.0 10.6 Sinasan Shin'azan 신아산 新阿山 16 November 1929 Sentetsu 90.3 7.3 Songhak Shōkaku 송학 松鶴 16 November 1929 Sentetsu 96.2 5.9 Aoji Aguji 아오지 阿吾地 16 November 1929 Sentetsu Chosen Coal Industry Railway Ao Line 104.9 8.7 Cheonghak Seikaku 청학 青鶴 16 November 1929 Sentetsu 114.6 9.7 Sahoe Seikai 사회 四会 16 November 1929 Sentetsu 127.7 13.1 Guryongpyeong Kyūryōhei 구룡평 九龍坪 16 November 1929 Sentetsu 135.7 8.0 Ungsang Yūshō 웅상 雄尚 16 November 1929 Sentetsu 146.2 10.5 Dongunggi Higashi-Yūki 동웅기 東雄基 16 November 1929 Sentetsu 158.5 12.3 Unggi Yūki 웅기 雄基 16 November 1929 Sentetsu Mantetsu Ungna Line

## References

1. Kokubu, Hayato (2007). *ja:将軍様の鉄道* [Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō]. Tokyo: Shinchosha. p. 89. ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6.

1. "The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea" (in Japanese). *朝鮮総督府官報*. '***(Shōwa No. 1963). 26 July 1933.***

1. 朝���総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 669, 28 March 1929 (in Japanese)

1. "The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea" (in Japanese). *朝鮮総督府官報*. 1 October 1933.

1. ["ja:南満州鉄道株式会社全路線"](http://homepage1.nifty.com/kitabatake/mansyu3.5.html) [South Manchurian Railway Co., Ltd. All routes] (in Japanese). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131021125429/http://homepage1.nifty.com/kitabatake/mansyu3.5.html) 21 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["ja:琿春: 東満州鉄道"](http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~travel-100years/travelguide_220.htm) [Hunchun: East Manchuria Railway] (in Japanese). *Biglobe.ne.jp*

1. Kokubu, Hayato (2007). *ja:将軍様の鉄道* [Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō]. Tokyo: Shinchosha. p. 131. ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [North Chosen Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Chosen_Line) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Chosen_Line?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.