Chōsen Coal Industry Company

The Chōsen Coal Industry Company (Japanese: 朝鮮石炭工業株式會社 Chōsen Sekitan Kōgyō Kabushiki Kaisha; Korean조선석탄공업주식회사; RRJoseon Seoktaneop Jusikhoesa) was a kabushiki kaisha in colonial Korea that operated collieries in Aoji, Sinaoji and Obong in Gyeongheung County, North Hamgyeong Province. In addition to the mines, after the Chōsen Synthetic Oil Company opened a large factory in Aoji-ri (now Haksong-ri) in 1937[1] to produce synthetic oil from the bituminous coal mined in the area,[2] the Chosen Coal Industry Company built a railway line, called the Ao Line, to connect its mines to the chemical factory and to the South Manchuria Railway's North Chōsen East Line, opening the line in two parts in 1938 and 1942.[3][4]

Chōsen Coal Industry Company, Ltd.
Native name
조선석탄공업주식회사
朝鮮石炭工業株式會社
Korean: Joseon Seoktaneop Jusikhoesa
Japanese: Chōsen Sekitan Kōgyō Kabushiki Kaisha
FormerlyChōsen Synthetic Oil Company
조선합성유주식회사
朝鮮合成油株式会社
Company typeKabushiki kaisha
IndustryMining, Railway
Defunct1945
FateNationalised
Headquarters
Haksong-ri
,
Ao Line
Overview
Other name(s)Obong Line (오봉선 (梧鳳線))
Native name아오선 (Korean: Ao-seon)
阿梧線 (Japanese: Ao-sen)
OwnerChosen Coal Industry Company
LocaleNorth Hamgyŏng
Termini
Stations4
Service
TypeHeavy rail,
Regional rail
Operator(s)Chosen Coal Industry Railway
History
Opened9 September 1938 (Aoji−Hoeam)
14 September 1942 (Hoeam−Obong)
Technical
Line length10.4 km (6.5 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Route map

Mantetsu
0.0
Aoji
Mantetsu
5.9
Hoeam
7.5
Sinaoji
(coal mine)
10.4
Obong
(coal mine)

Following the partition of Korea and the establishment of North Korea, the company was nationalised. The Ao Line, along with all other railway lines in the country, was nationalised on 10 August 1946, becoming part of the Korean State Railway.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ "Aoji-ri Chemical Complex". NTI. March 1, 2003.
  2. ^ "북한 아오지 탄광과 석유화학공업(1편)". Bemil (in Korean). June 11, 2009.
  3. ^ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea (in Japanese) (Shōwa No. 3505). 20 September 1938. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea) (in Japanese) (Shōwa No. 4695). 14 September 1942. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ Kokubu, Hayato (January 2007). 将軍様の鉄道. Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō. p. 131. ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6.