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Kunsan[koon´sAn´] Pronunciation Key, Jap. Gunzan, city (1995 pop. 266,517), North Cholla prov., SW South Korea, on the Yellow Sea at the Kum River estuary. It is a major port, especially for rice shipments, and is a commercial center for the rice grown in the Kum basin. Rice processing, fishing, and shipbuilding are important industries, and paper, lumber, rubber, and plastic are also produced. The city is also an important railroad hub. Originally a poor fishing village, Kunsan gained importance with the development of its port, which was opened to foreign trade in 1899. The Japanese, who ruled Korea from 1905 to 1945, further developed the city and port.
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