June 12, 2025, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
North Korea launched its second Choe Hyon-class destroyer, named the Kang Kon, at Najin. This is the second of its largest warship class ever produced by North Korea... A close-up image of the second Choe Hyon-class guided missile destroyer, Kang Kon, resting in the graving dock,…
June 9, 2025, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Recent satellite image shows the destroyer which failed launching at Chongjin has now been moved to Najin shipyard for restoration... A close-up view of the recently raised second Choe Hyon-class missile destroyer DDGHM in the graving dock at the No. 28 Shipyard in Najin, June...
May 21, 2025, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Imagery shows dramatic increases in Sino-North Korean trade at the lesser-known Wonjong-ni-Quanhe border crossing over the past few years... Overview of Wonjong-ni-Quanhe border crossing, March 21, 2025. Copyright © 2025 by Maxar Technologies. Image may not be republished without permission. Please contact imagery@csis.org. There...
February 28, 2024, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Ammunition supplies have become critical in the Ukraine war. CSIS studied hundreds of commercially available satellite images since August 2023 on the continuing transfer of large quantities of munitions between North Korea and Russia... Ammunition supplies have become critical in the Ukraine war. CSIS studied hundreds of commercially available…
December 8, 2023, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Satellite images of Najin Port over the past two months show a high level of activity, suggesting that arms transfer between DPRK and Russia continue... Overview of Piers 2 and 3 at Najin (Rajin) Port, October 23, 2023. (Copyright ©…
November 30, 2020, by Michelle Bigold, Minjung Chey and Duke Dukho Gim—
Rajin holds considerable economic value, and its viability stems from its potential to act as a regional logistics hub linking the Chinese northeastern provinces, Far East Russia and North Korea. For China, the development of the northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin hinges on access to a seaport. Having long suffered from stagnated growth and brain drain, the region is further weighed down by inefficient transport options that continue to stymie its economic potential.
