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2 weeks ago | 
38north.org | Peter Makowsky |Jack J. Liu |Iliana Ragnone |Martyn Williams
Commercial satellite imagery of Nampho Port indicates North Korea’s newest warship has likely left the construction hall and is positioned inside a floating drydock berthed at the newly refurbished quay. It has been less than a year since the first observable signs of construction were seen at Nampho, the west coast command headquarters for North Korea’s navy and the country’s largest commercial port.
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1 month ago | 
38north.org | Peter Makowsky |Jack J. Liu |Iliana Ragnone |Martyn Williams
As springtime brings warmer weather and softer ground, work to expand the road and rail infrastructure throughout North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launching Station continues. Recent commercial satellite imagery indicates that efforts to cut a new road, or possible rail bed, connecting the east tunnel entrance with the coastal launch pad and southern seaport are underway, which could allow for vehicles or launch materials to easily travel to and from the various parts of the complex.
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1 month ago | 
myemail.constantcontact.com | Marc Santora |Peter Makowsky |Jack Liu |Iliana Ragnone
Quotes of the Day:"The worse that a man can do to himself is to do injustice to others."– Henrik Ibsen"If a person gave away your body to some passerby, you'd be furious. Yet you handover your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled – have you no shame in that?" – Epictetus. "Reality cannot be ignored, except at a price; and the longer the ignorance is persisted in, the higher and more terrible becomes the price that must be paid." – Aldous Huxley.
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2 months ago | 
38north.org | Martyn Williams |Peter Makowsky |Iliana Ragnone
Commercial satellite imagery indicates North Korea’s newest ballistic missile submarine (SSB), the Sinpo-C (Hero Kim Kun Ok), has left the drydock after an extended period. First moved to the drydock in mid-May 2024, a protective covering was built in July, and both the submarine and the covering were shifted to the south end of the drydock in late November, where it remained until recently. Imagery shows the Sinpo-C left the drydock sometime after February 11.
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2 months ago | 
38north.org | Martyn Williams |Peter Makowsky |Jack J. Liu |Iliana Ragnone
North Korea’s Nampho Port continues to be the focus of construction and expansion activity, emphasizing its growing importance within North Korea’s economic and military infrastructure. Commercial satellite imagery shows continued work to expand the dual-use shipbuilding area, the completion of new petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) storage and berthing facilities, and movement at the commercial container port.
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
38north.org | Peter Makowsky |Jack J. Liu |Martyn Williams |Iliana Ragnone
Recent commercial satellite imagery of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center indicates roof repairs at the Radiochemical Laboratory’s (RCL) Thermal (Steam) Plant appears complete, covering recently-installed new or refurbished steam boilers. While occasional smoke emissions have been observed coming from the plant—a usual indicator of reprocessing activity—the inconsistent frequency suggests a reprocessing campaign is not underway.
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Dec 12, 2024 | 
38north.org | Peter Makowsky
Recent commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Sinpho South Shipyard reveals that the newest ballistic missile class submarine (SSB), the Sinpo-C (also called the Hero Kim Kun Ok), has been repositioned to the front of the drydock—immediately adjacent to the inflow gate—and covered by a protective structure. While the exact reason for this movement is unclear, the activity suggests the vessel will continue to remain in the drydock for an extended fitting-out period.
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Nov 14, 2024 | 
38north.org | Martyn Williams |Peter Makowsky |Jack J. Liu |Iliana Ragnone
Two months after Kim Jong Un visited Tapchon Port on North Korea’s east coast and announced plans to build a large naval base, commercial satellite imagery shows no signs of construction advancing at the site. Tapchon is part of a larger complex of naval facilities in the Munchon area, previously the home of the KPA East Fleet Headquarters. However, across the bay, there is significant work to expand the existing October 3 Dockyard and Korean People’s Army (KPA) Navy Unit 155 Base.
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Nov 8, 2024 | 
38north.org | Iliana Ragnone |Jack J. Liu |Martyn Williams |Peter Makowsky
Commercial satellite imagery shows that work at North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launching Station is progressing. South Korean intelligence reported on October 29 that North Korea appears to be ready to conduct another satellite launch attempt—with the acquisition of parts and technological cooperation with Russia—in what would be its first attempt since the failed launch of the Malligyong-1-1 reconnaissance satellite in May 2024.
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Nov 8, 2024 | 
38north.org | Martyn Williams |Peter Makowsky |Jack J. Liu |Iliana Ragnone
Commercial satellite imagery of Nampho Port indicates previously identified work on a ship repair way is part of a much larger project that will significantly upgrade the facility. Nampho, located on the west coast of North Korea, is both the country’s primary ship construction and repair facility and its largest commercial port, known for its coal, petroleum, oil and commercial goods imports and exports.
