Famous people from T'ongch'ŏn include Hyundai Founder Chung Ju-yung, who is believed to have been born there.

[3] The town has the tomb of the ancestor of the Tongchon Kim clan, known for being the son of Crown Prince Maui.

[4] The town also hosts the Chongseok gazebo (Chongsokjong), known as one of the eight scenic sites of Kwandong region (Kwandongpalgyeong), and is designated by the DPRK as the no.

[7] Chasal-li village was named after the mountain Chasan.The town is a major production center for Perenniporia,used for traditional medicine.

[9] The village was named for having an intersection of different river streams merging.The town's geographical features are mainly beaches and mounds with rather low height.

[13] The village contains lot of pasture used to raise cows, and has a over the water route connected from the Chigung harbor.

[17] The village was named as such because it was the old administrative center of the county.The region is home to the Tongchonbol, a vast plain.

[29] The village was named as such because it was newly founded city.The rivers of Kahung and Kyegok flow through the region.

The town had 19 ris, which were Hagojeo, sanggojeo, Eoun, samgye, Guhang, pohang, banwol, saho, Hungun, Baekjong, Botong, sin, sinwol, Oryu, jeonsan, toil, jeonchon, chongsok and tongsudong.

Due to the extensive plains, agriculture is a major local industry; in addition to rice, the county produces barley, wheat, oats, millet, maize, soybeans, and potatoes.

The region has long been a popular destination due to the proximity of Mount Kŭmgang and, in recent years, tourists from South Korea have passed through the area in great numbers.