Taedong

(or Taedong-gang), a river in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, in the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea. It is 439 km long and drains an area of 20,100 sq km.

The Taedong rises in the mountains of northern Korea; in its middle and lower course it flows over a plain. The river empties into Korea Bay of the Yellow Sea, where it forms an estuary. The Taedong has a monsoonal regime, with summer freshets. It is frozen for two or three months out of the year. The mean flow rate is about 320 cu m per sec. Marine tides affect the lower parts of the river. The Taedong is navigable for 243 km from the estuary; for seagoing ships it is navigable for 30 km. The cities of Sunchon and Pyongyang are situated on the Taedong, and the seaport of Nampo is located on the estuary.