Hwanggumpyong Island, River island in Yalu River, North Korea
Hwanggumpyong Island is a river island in the Yalu River, which forms the border between North Korea and the Chinese city of Dandong. The island is largely covered in farmland, and a steel mesh fence marks the international boundary along the water's edge.
A border treaty signed between North Korea and China in 1962 established the island's ownership, taking into account the Korean population already living there. That agreement has defined the island's legal status ever since.
From the Chinese riverbank, visitors can see fields and occasional figures working the land on the island. The pace of daily life there appears tied to farming cycles, with little visible sign of modern development.
The island can only be seen from the Chinese side of the Yalu River, as border rules prevent any visitor access to the territory itself. Clear weather and good light make it easier to observe details from the riverbank in Dandong.
In 2011 the island was declared a special economic zone for planned joint development with China, a project that never moved beyond early stages. Today the island looks much the same as it did before that announcement.
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