Taedong River

Taedong River
Map of the Taedong River
Location
CountryNorth Korea
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationRangrim Mountains, South Hamgyong
Mouth 
  location
West Korea Bay
Length439 kilometers (273 mi)
Basin size20,344 km2 (7,855 sq mi)
Taedong River
Chosŏn'gŭl
대동강
Hancha
大同江
Revised RomanizationDaedonggang
McCune–ReischauerTaedonggang

The Taedong River (Korean: 대동강) is a large river in North Korea. The river rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north where it then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o. In between, it runs through the country's capital, Pyongyang. Along the river are landmarks such as the Juche Tower and Kim Il-sung Square.

The river is 439 kilometres (273 miles) in length, and is generally deep. It is the fifth-longest river on the Korean peninsula and the second-longest in North Korea. Pyongyang is approximately 110 km upstream from the mouth, Sunchon 192 km upstream, and Taehŭng 414 km upstream. Because of its depth, it is widely used for river transport; it is navigable by large ships up to 65 km inland, although most commercial traffic stops at Songrim.