CH'UNCH'ON

city and provincial capital, Kangwon do (province), northern South Korea. It is in the basin formed by the confluence of the North Han and the Soyang rivers. During the Korean War (1950-53), Ch'unch'on sustained heavy damage, but after the war it was reconstructed as a modern city. The city is a rail terminus from Seoul and is a road junction with river transport facilities. It is the market centre for agricultural products (rice, millet, soybeans) produced in the vicinity. After 1960, with the construction of hydroelectric plants in nearby areas, light industry developed rapidly in Ch'unch'on. The city is the home of Kangwon National University (1947) and Hallym University (1982). Pop. (1990) 174,224.