When Anju County was raised to the status of a city in August 1987, Sinanju Workers' District was divided into Sinwon-dong, Wonhung-dong, Yokchon-dong.

On May 9, 1951, the U.S. Air Force conducted the most massive airstrike of the Korean war to date - at least 300 planes converged on a city on the Yalu River.

Sinanju's bridges and railways were bombed by the United States Air Force during the Korean War to halt the transport of supplies to North Korea.

During the second Korean winter, railways and bridges leading from Sinanju to Chongju were bombed by the U.S. on January 25, 1952, but were repaired five days later.

During the third Korean winter of the war, the USAF targeted five railroad bridges over the Chongchon Estuary near Sinanju in January 1953.