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5 days ago | 
38north.org | Martyn Williams |Peter Makowsky
Commercial satellite imagery indicates work on the first road bridge between North Korea and Russia is rapidly progressing. On the North Korean side of the crossing, preparations for the abutments, the road sections immediately on either side of a bridge, are underway. So far, seven footings for the west-side abutment have been installed. Similar work has not yet started on the Russian side abutments, but work to grade the road leading to the bridge crossing point has started.
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3 weeks ago | 
38north.org | Martyn Williams |Peter Makowsky
Satellite Imagery North Korea is preparing to launch its second new naval destroyer, nearly three weeks after the Choe Hyon Class destroyer was launched at Nampho Shipyard in late April. Commercial satellite imagery of the Chongjin Shipyard indicates the vessel, appearing to also be a Choe Hyon Class destroyer, began to be moved along the quay from a construction position on May 14, and parked in a launching position on May 15.
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3 weeks ago | 
38north.org | Martyn Williams |Peter Makowsky
New construction is underway at Chongjin Port that looks to refresh a large part of the shipyard. Chongjin has traditionally been associated with fishing, but site improvements and a recent visit by Kim Jong Un to inspect a new warship, indicate the port could be taking on a more important role in military warship production.
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1 month 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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2 months 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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Mar 9, 2025 | 
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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Feb 19, 2025 | 
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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Jan 31, 2025 | 
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.
