In the east, jagged ridges line the rugged coast, and drop abruptly to the sea.
Many rocky islets rise from the offshore waters.
Along the northeast coast, the coastal range is the Hamgyong Mountains. Here the terrain assumes the form of 5,000-feet high granite towers rising near the coast. Further south, the primary range throughout North and South Korea is the Taebaek Mountains. These rugged peaks provide a coastal backbone running north-south for much of the peninsula. Also interesting but inaccessible is Changbai Shan, a remote mountainous region along the North Korean border with China.