New research from a U.S.-based think tank reveals that North Korea is expanding a weapons plant, reportedly used by Russia in its war against Ukraine, as shown in satellite imagery.
The facility, known as the February 11 plant, is part of the Ryongsong Machine Complex in Hamhung, North Korea’s second-largest city, on the country’s east coast. Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, located at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said the facility produces both KN-32 missiles (Hwasong-11B).
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited the facility in Hamhung, the country’s second-largest city, on many occasions, with North Korean official media previously praising its mass-production of tactical missiles.
Ukrainian officials say these munitions – known as the KN-23 in the West – have been used by Russian forces in their assault on Ukraine. The expansion of the complex has not yet been previously reported.
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According to Western and South Korean officials, Moscow and Pyongyang have also deepened their military ties to a level unseen since the Cold War, including agreeing to a mutual defense pact earlier this year and sending North Korean troops to help fight against Ukraine. Meanwhile, observers have raised concerns that Moscow may be violating international sanctions to aid Pyongyang’s development of its military satellite program.
Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defense treaty at a summit in June and have pledged to boost their military ties. North Korea’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Satellite images taken in early October by the commercial firm Planet Labs show an additional assembly building under construction, along with a new housing facility likely for workers, according to analysis by CNS researchers. It also indicates that Pyongyang is improving the entrance for some of the underground facilities at the complex.
Lair noted that a disused bridge crane blocking the tunnel for easier access has been removed, suggesting an emphasis on improving this part of the facility.
The new assembly building is about 60 to 70 percent the size of the previous building used to assemble missiles.
The expansion of North Korea’s weapons plant in Hamhung raises essential questions. With growing evidence of North Korean missiles being used in the Ukraine conflict, could this development lead to further violations of international sanctions? The situation continues to evolve, leaving the world watching closely.
