CH'UNGCH'ONG, NORTH

Korean Ch'ungch'ong-pukto do (province), central South Korea. The only province of South Korea with no seacoast, it is bordered by the provinces of Kangwon (north), North Kyongsang (east), North Cholla (southwest), and South Ch'ungch'ong (west), and Kyonggi (northwest). Its capital is Ch'ongju. The province is mostly mountainous but has a basin plain that lies between the Noryong Mountains to the north and the Sobaek Mountains to the east. Through the basin the Namhan River, a tributary of the Han, flows toward the north, and the Kum River and its tributary the Mi-ch'on flow toward the south and west. The province's plain is one of the nation's important granaries. In addition to rice, barley, beans, and sweet potatoes, the province's special agricultural products include ginseng, yellow-leaf tobacco (transplanted from Virginia, U.S., in 1912), and apples. Mineral reserves include gold, iron ore, coal, high-grade steatite, fluorite, molybdenum, marble, graphite, and limestone, with cement manufacturing flourishing in the northern area. There is some tobacco manufacturing, silk weaving, and other home industries. In addition to Ch'ongju, Ch'ungju is a major city. Mount Songni (3,468 feet ) in the Sobaek Mountains is a national park and the site of Pobju-sa, one of the oldest temples in the country. Mount Worak National Park (1984) is another attraction. Area 2,871 square miles (7,436 square km). Pop. (1990) 1,389,686.