city, southwestern North Korea (Korea, North). It is 30 miles (50 km) southwest of P'yŏngyang, on the estuary of the Taedong River. Formerly a fishing village, it developed rapidly after it became an open port in 1897. The harbour can accommodate ships of 20,000 tons but is frozen during the winter. Namp'o is the chief seaport in the area and is connected to the interior by rail and by river transport on the Taedong. The city is a market centre for marine products, including shellfish, and its industries include copper and gold refining, shipbuilding, glassmaking, and electrode manufacturing. Along the coast are solar-evaporation salt pans. The surrounding area is known for the quality of the apples it produces. Pop. (1993 est.) 731,448.