Military, Nuclear Weapons

Punggye-ri Update: Ongoing Activity

May 17, 2022, by , and

Key Findings

  • A high off-nadir satellite imagery collected on May 17, 2022, provides a unique and current view of the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility and its portals.
  • Continued activity outside the new portal for Tunnel No. 3 shows support equipment for ongoing work inside the tunnel.
  • Changes in the lumber piles, renovation of existing buildings, and construction of new buildings in the main administration and support area also indicates a continued expansion of the support infrastructure for the test facility.
  • Refurbishment work and preparations at Tunnel No. 3 has been proceeding over the past three months, and presumably will be nearing completion for the oft-speculated seventh nuclear test. The timing of this test rests solely within the hands of Kim Jong-un.

A high off-nadir (HON) Airbus Neo image of the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility collected on May 17, 2022, provides a unique view of the facility and its portals. The image collected at 41.7° off-nadir also shows ongoing activity outside the new portal to Tunnel No. 3 (South Portal) and in the main administration and support area.

Tunnel No. 3

Overview of the entrance to Tunnel No. 3. The image shows both the original portal destroyed in 2018 and the new portal under construction, as well as ongoing activity outside the new portal. Click to enlarge. (Copyright © Airbus DS 2022)

Continued activity outside and around the new portal for Tunnel No. 3 is observed in the satellite image. The high off-nadir image offers a unique angled view of the new portal to the tunnel, as well as the destroyed portal and collapsed hillside further north.

Close-up view of the entrance to Tunnel No. 3. The image shows both the original portal destroyed in 2018 and the new portal under construction, as well as ongoing activity outside the new portal. Click to enlarge. (Copyright © Airbus DS 2022)

A probable compressor and pumphouse building is located approximately 45 meters from the new portal. Several cables, probably for power, compressor air, ventilation, and worksite communications, run straight from the building into the tunnel to support ongoing activity. Additionally, a small vehicle is present at the probable worksite manager and engineering offices located across the road from the portal.

Main Administration and Support Area

Overview of the Main Administration and Support Area. Click to enlarge. (Copyright © Airbus DS 2022)

Ongoing construction and activity in the main administration and support area are observed in the latest image. Former support and storage buildings continue to be renovated, and there is a decrease in the lumber piles formerly present at various locations in the area. A new building is under construction in the northeastern corner of the area, and vehicle tracks are visible throughout the lower courtyard.   

Tunnels No. 2 and No. 4

Overview of the collapsed Tunnel No. 4 (West Portal). Click to enlarge. (Copyright © Airbus DS 2022)

Overview of the collapsed Tunnel No. 2 (North Portal). Click to enlarge. (Copyright © Airbus DS 2022)

The satellite image shows no indicators of activity at Tunnel No. 2 (North Portal) and Tunnel No. 4 (West Portal) but offers a close-up and uniquely angled view of the two tunnels, which were collapsed as part of the disabling in 2018.

Refurbishment work and preparations at Tunnel No. 3 has been proceeding over the past three months, and presumably will be nearing completion for the oft-speculated seventh nuclear test. On May 6, the U.S. State Department assessed that the test facility could be ready to conduct a test “as early as this month.” The timing of this test rests solely within the hands of Kim Jong-un.


Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. is an internationally recognized analyst, award-winning author, and lecturer on North Korean defense and intelligence affairs and ballistic missile development in developing countries. He is concurrently senior fellow for Imagery Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Security (CSIS); senior adviser and imagery analyst for the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK); author for IHS Markit (formerly the Jane’s Information Group); and publisher and editor of KPA Journal. Formerly, he has served as founder and CEO of KPA Associates, LLC, senior imagery analyst for 38 North at Johns Hopkins SAIS, chief analytics officer and co-founder of AllSource Analysis, Inc., and senior all-source analyst for DigitalGlobe’s Analysis Center. 
 
Victor Cha is senior vice president and the inaugural holder of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 
 
Jennifer Jun is a program coordinator and research assistant with the iDeas Lab and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 
 
Headline image credit: Copyright © Airbus DS 2022