Chōsen Anthracite Company

The Chōsen Anthracite Company, Ltd. (Japanese: 朝鮮無煙炭株式会社 Chōsen Muentan Kabushiki Kaisha; Korean: 조선무연탄주식회사 Joseon Muyeontan Jusikhoesa) was a kabushiki kaisha in colonial Korea that operated collieries around Korea. It was founded in 1927 by the Mitsubishi zaibatsu of Japan by integrating the anthracite mining operations around Heijō, eventually becoming the largest coal-producing company in Korea - 74.9% of the coal distributed in Korea was produced by the Chōsen Anthracite Company.[1]

Muncheon Port Line
Overview
Native name	Korean: 문천항선 (Muncheonhang-seon) Japanese: 文川港線 (Genzankō-sen)
Owner	Chosen Anthracite Company
Locale	Gangwon
Termini	Muncheon Wonsanbukhang
Stations	2
Service
Type	Heavy rail, Regional rail
Operator(s)	Chosen Anthracite Company Railway
History
Opened	17 December 1943
Technical
Line length	7.4 km (4.6 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map Sea of Japan Sinheung-ni port Sinheung-ni Goseong-ni Sentetsu Hamgyeong Line towards Gowon 7.4 Wonsanbukhang 0.0 Muncheon Sentetsu Hamgyeong Line towards Wonsan

In 1935, majority control of the Chōsen Anthracite Company went to the Oriental Development Company (Japanese: Tōyō Takushoku Kabushiki Kaisha), which transformed the Chosen Anthracite Company into a multipurpose company which, in addition to the production and distribution of coal, built and operated ports and railways.[1]

On 17 December 1943 the Chōsen Anthracite Company opened a railway line from Bunsen on the Chōsen Government Railway's Kankyō Line to a port it had constructed at Kogan-dō, Bunsen city, Gangwon Province. Named the Bunsen Port Line, it ran 7.4 km (4.6 mi) from Bunsen Station to Genzan North Port Station.[2]

Following the partition of Korea and the establishment of North Korea, the company was abolished. The Muncheon Port Line, along with all other railway lines in the country, was nationalised on 10 August 1946, becoming part of the Korean State Railway.[3]