In critical studies of North Korea, North Hamgyong has a reputation as a neglected and underdeveloped region even by the country's standards. It was where the1990s famine hit hardest, and food shortages persist even in the 2020s.[3] The majority ofNorth Korean defectors who live inSouth Korea came from the province after crossing the relatively shallowTumen River intoChina. Therefore, the conditions of the province, which analystFyodor Tertitskiy has described as "not only a very grim, but also a very boring place," tend to be projected onto the whole country, even though they are not representative.[4]
North Hamgyong is divided into three cities (si) and 12 counties (kun).[5] These are further divided into villages (ri) in rural areas anddong (neighborhoods) in cities. Some cities are also divided into wards known as "kuyŏk", which are administered just below the city level.
^ab"권력기구도". Seoul: Political and Military Analysis Division, Intelligence and Analysis Bureau; Ministry of Unification. June 2025. Retrieved19 October 2025.
