 | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Yalu River |
| Coordinates | 39°58′N124°19′E / 39.96°N 124.31°E /39.96; 124.31 |
| Area | 11.45 km2 (4.42 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Province | North P'yŏngan |
| County | Sindo County |
 Republic of Korea (claimed) | |
| Province | North Pyeongan |
| County-level division | Yongcheon |
| Myeon | Sindo |
| Demographics | |
| Ethnic groups | Koreans |
Hwanggumpyong (Korean:황금평,simplified Chinese:黄金坪;traditional Chinese:黃金坪;pinyin:Huángjīnpíng), formerly calledHwanggumpyong Island (Korean:황금평도,simplified Chinese:黄金坪岛;traditional Chinese:黃金坪島;pinyin:Huángjīnpíng Dǎo), is aNorth Koreanfree-trade zone borderingChina. The area used to be atidal island in theYalu River. However, due to continuous deposition of river-borne sediments, the northern portion of the former island is now permanently connected with the Chinese city ofDandong. A steel mesh fence has been built to mark the land border betweenNorth Korea andChina.[1]
Due to ethnic Koreans living on the island at the time of a1962 border treaty, bothChina andNorth Korea agreed that the sovereignty of the island belongs to North Korea. The formerriver island is now a North Koreanexclave on the otherwise Chinese side of the river.[2] The agreement is not recognized bySouth Korea, who continues to claim this island in accordance with itsconstitution.
In June 2011, an agreement, negotiated byGao Jingde, of Sunbase International Holdings Ltd,[3] with China was made to establish a jointfree-trade area on Hwanggumpyong andWihwa Islands, as well as the Chinese border area nearDandong.[4] By 2013, the site had been prepared, and a free-trade area of over 300 acres (120 ha) may be ready for operation in about two years.[5]
