Other significant streams include the Hŭngrim River (흑림강), Chadongch'ŏn (자동천), Ch'ŏnbulsanch'ŏn (천불산천), and Kigokch'ŏn (기곡천).

Yŏnggwang County is divided into 1 ŭp (town), 1 rodongjagu (workers' districts) and 24 ri (villages): It was originally part of Hamju County, from which it was separated in a general reorganization of local government in 1952.

The county was renamed in 1981 by the North Korean government as Yŏnggwang(korean word meaning glory) , to say the county is "a town of glory where love and compassion of the Glorious Leader exists", or alternatively because "it hoststhe revolutionary sites of Kim Jong Suk Kim Il sung and Kim jong il"[2][3] It is the site of one of the steles erected by Chinhŭng of Silla in the 6th century.

Local crops include maize, rice, soybeans, wheat, and barley.

The Sinhŭng and Changjin lines of the Korean State Railway pass through the county, which is also served by roads.