January 7, 2022, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
North Korea’s SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine suffered a malfunction likely resulting in damage during the October 19, 2021, SLBM test launch... North Korea’s SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine suffered a malfunction likely resulting in damage during…
December 8, 2021, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha, Andy Dinville and Jennifer Jun—
Recent thermal infrared imagery of the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center show warm water being discharged from the cooling system of the 5MWe reactor and that the reactor is in operation. During the past several months, water discharge from the reactor and probable steam exhaust from the steam turbine and electric generator hall has been observed in visible satellite imagery. Through thermal imagery, it can be determined that the water that is being discharged is indeed warm water discharge from the reactor's cooling system.
November 15, 2021, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Jennifer Jun and Victor Cha—
Over 16 months after its shutdown of the border with China to prevent COVID transmission, North Korea has seen delays in its efforts to re-open commerce with its primary trade partner. The conversion of Uiju Airbase into a disinfection facility started in early 2021, but the most recent satellite imagery as of November 12 shows no signs of being operational, indicating a delay of at least six months from its original opening plans. Smaller-scale disinfection facilities at other crossings appear to be in development.
November 8, 2021, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
The Pyongsan Uranium Concentrate Plant remains the sole verified producer of uranium concentrate in North Korea. As such it represents the foundation upon which the nation’s production of fissile material for nuclear weapons is built. Commercial satellite imagery collected from April through October 2021 continues to demonstrate that despite the absence of any nuclear testing by North Korea since 2017 the Pyongsan Uranium Concentrate Plant remains operational, continues to be maintained, and is producing uranium concentrate (U3O8, “yellowcake”).
October 21, 2021, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
North Korea test-fired a “new type” of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on October 19, 2021, from waters in the Sinpo area. The test launch of the new SLBM is one of a series of recent provocative missile tests that demonstrate advancements in the survivability of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
October 15, 2021, by Robert King—
The most striking feature of the data for North Korea in both the overall number of work-related deaths and in the number who suffered death from stroke as a result of overwork is that the number went from one of the worst in the world to decisively the worst of all UN member states. In almost every other country in the world over the period of this study, the death rate from workplace disease and injury declined.
October 7, 2021, by Min-Jung Kim—
On January 22, 2021, a controversial bill was proposed by the Ministry of Unification of South Korea. If radio broadcasting to North Korea is subjected as indicated, the bill can have a far greater impact in the United States than the Anti-Leaflet Law has, as most of the radio broadcasting activities to North Korea by South Korean nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are funded by the U.S. government or U.S. citizens.
October 4, 2021, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha, Andy Dinville and Jennifer Jun—
Food security is a perennial domestic concern for North Korea. This report utilizes remote sensing analysis to understand the current condition of North Korea’s food production and crop yields that the country will depend on for the coming year. .. This article was originally published as a CSIS Korea Chair Platform on October 4, 2021.…
September 30, 2021, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr.—
While North Korea’s public demonstration of a rail-mobile missile launch platform earlier this month may have caught some by surprise, the country’s interest in developing such a capability reports back several decades... This article was originally published as a CSIS Korea Chair Platform. North Korea’s demonstration of…
September 10, 2021, by Robert King—
Despite statements from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that a North Korean human rights envoy will be appointed, there are several complications that could delay that appointment... In June 2018, the United States Congress adopted legislation extending (“reauthorizing”) the North Korea Human…
