---
title: "Hyesan City (Ryanggang): North Korea County Demographics & Abuses | Save North Korea"
description: "Hyesan City in Ryanggang: population 192,680, 202 documented human rights abuses, 9 detention facilities, and 3 official markets."
url: "https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/hyesan"
language: en
translations:
  en: https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/hyesan
  ko: https://savenorthkorea.org/ko/counties/hyesan
  ja: https://savenorthkorea.org/ja/counties/hyesan
  zh-Hans: https://savenorthkorea.org/zh/counties/hyesan
---

[Counties](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties) · Ryanggang · KP0101

 City in Ryanggang 

# Hyesan City

**192,680** people 2008 census, may be outdated 

**329** km² 586 people per km² 

**90%** live in towns 

**202** documented abuses NKDB 

**9** detention sites 

**3** official markets 

Hyesan City · Ryanggang

[ Open on the intel map](https://savenorthkorea.org/map#county=KP0101)[ Satellite view](https://savenorthkorea.org/map#county=KP0101&b=sat)[ Compare all 179 counties](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties)

## Seen from space

**17.1%** of the county lit at night in 2025 

4.7% in 2013

The satellite product changed version in 2022 (dashed line). [Annual VIIRS night lights, Earth Observation Group](https://eogdata.mines.edu/products/vnl/)

## Abuses by right violated

- Freedom of Movement & Residence **114**
- Life **33**
- Individual Liberty & Dignity **32**
- Freedom of Belief & Expression **10**
- Survival **9**
- Accused, Detained, or Convicted **3**
- Reproductive Rights **1**

## When they happened

1. **11** ’90s
2. **106** ’00s
3. **85** ’10s

## Women and men

**101,260** women (53%) **91,420** men 

## Elsewhere in Ryanggang

- [Kabsan 5 ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/kabsan)
- [Kim Hyong Gwon ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/kim-hyong-gwon)
- [Kim Hyong Jik ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/kim-hyong-jik)
- [Kim Jong Suk 11 ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/kim-jong-suk)
- [Paekam 12 ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/paekam)
- [Phungso ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/phungso)
- [Pochon 13 ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/pochon)
- [Samjiyon 27 ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/samjiyon)
- [Samsu 162 ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/samsu)
- [Taehongdan 14 ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/taehongdan)
- [Unhung 1 ](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/unhung)

## Sources

- [**UN OCHA administrative boundaries** data.humdata.org ↗ ](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-prk)
- [**2008 census (UNFPA)** data.humdata.org ↗ ](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ps-prk)
- [**NKDB Visual Atlas** visualatlas.org ↗ ](https://www.visualatlas.org)