[citation needed] "Riwŏn" is the official North Korean romanization of the town's name, using the McCune–Reischauer system.

[1] Due to the silting of the mouth of the Namdae, Riwon was located a little inland by the 1950s, with a larger port named Kunsŏn.

The Righteous Army of Jeong Munbu recaptured Riwon on the 12th day of the 11th lunar month of 1592.

[citation needed] As part of Operation Tailboard[6] during the initial phase of the Korean War, the US Marines' 1st Division landed at Wonsan on October 25, 1950.

[10] The majority of the division was landed by November 8 and began advancing north towards the Chinese border at the Yalu.