Sokch’o

Sokch’o, also spelled Sokcho, city, Kangwŏn (Gangwon) do (province), northeastern South Korea, on the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Ch’ŏngch’o Lagoon is in the southern part of the city. The coastal waters provide good fishing grounds for cuttlefish, pollack, and mackerel. Linked with Seoul by air and road, the city became a mineral transfer port in 1937. Upon the division of the Korean peninsula into two countries following World War II, Sokch’o was on the North Korean side of the border, but since the Korean War armistice (1953), it has been a part of South Korea. The city has a white sand beach bordered by a pine forest, and Mount Sŏrak (Seoraksan) National Park is located just west of the city. Pop. (2010) 80,791.