Hwanghae Province

This article is about one theEight Provinces of Koreaduring the Joseon. For the hypothetical province claimed by South Korea, seeCommittee for the Five Northern Korean Provinces § Hwanghae.

"Hwanghae" redirects here. For the sea with the same name in Chinese characters, seeYellow Sea.

Hwanghae Province
Province of the Kingdom of Great Joseon
Korean transcription(s)
•Chosŏn'gŭl	황해도
•Hanja	HoàngHảiNói
•Revised Romanization	Hwanghae-do
•McCune–Reischauer	Hwanghae-do
Short name transcription(s)
•Chosŏn'gŭl	황해
•Hanja	HoàngHải
•Revised Romanization	Hwanghae
•McCune–Reischauer	Hwanghae
Country	Kingdom of Great Joseon
Region	Haesŏ
Capital	Haeju
Dialect	Hwanghae

Hwanghae Province(Hwanghae-do[hwa̠ŋ.ɦɛ.do̞]) was one of theEight Provinces of Koreaduring theJoseonera. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital wasHaeju.Theregional namefor the province wasHaeseo.

History

In 1395, the province was organized as Punghae (풍해도;Phong hải nói;Punghae-do). In 1417, the province was renamed Hwanghae. The name derived from the names of the two principal cities of Hwangju (황주;Hoàng Châu) and Haeju(해주;Hải châu).

In 1895, the province was reorganized into theDistrictsof Haeju (해주부;Hải châu phủ;Haeju-bu) in the west andGaeseong(개성부;Khai lòng dạ;Gaeseong-bu) in the east, but in 1896, a new system of thirteen provinces was established, and Hwanghae Province was reconstituted.

In 1945, Korea wasdividedintoSovietandAmericanzones of occupation, north and south respectively of the38th parallel.The southernmost part of Hwanghae (around the towns ofOngjinandYonan County) was cut off from the rest of the province by the dividing line and joinedGyeonggi Provincein the southern half of the country. In 1948, Hwanghae and Gyeonggi Provinces became parts of the new countries ofNorthandSouth Korearespectively.

In 1953, at the end of theKorean War,theNorthern Limit Linewas established, which marked themaritime boundarybetween North and South Korea. The line runs between the mainland portion of Gyeonggi Province that had been part of Hwanghae before 1945, and the adjacent offshore islands (the largest of which isBaengnyeongdo). As a result, the mainland portion reverted to North Korean control, while the islands remained a part of South Korea. (Since 1999, North Korea has claimed a more southerlyMaritime Military Demarcation Line,which would make the islands a part of North Korea as well. Disputes between North and South Korean naval vessels often occur in this area.)

In 1954, North Korea's Hwanghae Province was divided intoNorthandSouth Hwanghae Provinces.

Geography

Hwanghae was bounded byPyeongan Province(after 1896South Pyeongan) on the north,Gangwon Provinceon the east,Gyeonggi Provinceon the south, and theYellow Seaon the west.

See also

• Kōkai-dō

External links

• Seoul City history article on Hanseong and 22 other late 19th-century districts (in Korean)