Namp'o (North Korean official spelling: Nampo; pronounced [nampo]) is a city and seaport in South Pyongan Province, North Korea. Namp'o lies on the northern shore of the Taedong River, 15 km east of the river's mouth. It was a provincial-level "Directly Governed City" ("Chikhalsi") from 1980–2004, when it was designated a "Special City" (T'ŭkgŭpsi) and made a part of South P'yŏngyang. Namp'o was designated a T'ŭkpyŏlsi (teukbyeolsi; 특별시; 特別市) or "Special City", in 2010. Namp'o is situated approximately 50 kilometres south west of P'yŏngyang, at the mouth of the Taedong River. It was originally a small fishing village, but became a port for foreign trade in 1897, developing into a modern port in 1945 after World War II. With the rapid increase in state investment, the city's industrial capacity grew..