August 20, 2025, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Approximately 27 kilometers from the China-North Korean border, the Sinpung-dong Missile Operating Base is an undeclared North Korean missile base... As featured in the Wall Street Journal "North Korea Has a Secret Long-Range Missile Base…
November 14, 2024, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Located 242 kilometers north of the demilitarized zone and only 65 kilometers from the Chinese border, the Yongnim Missile Operating Base is an undeclared ballistic missile operating ICBM base in Chagang Province... A close-up view of the two hardened drive-through missile checkout facilities, May 13, 2002 (Copyright…
July 2, 2024, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
This second part of the missile operating bases update covers developments at Sakkanmol, Sangnam-ni, Sino-ri, and Yusang-ni Missile Operating Bases over the past several years. .. During the past five years, North Korea has undertaken numerous small and significant changes at…
June 10, 2024, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Satellite imagery shows that North Korea has undertaken numerous small and some significant changes at most of its ballistic missile operating bases over the past five years... Overview of the Hoejung-ri Missile Operating Base, March 26, 2024 (Copyright © 2024 by Maxar).…
February 7, 2022, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Located 338-kilometers north of the demilitarized zone and only 25-kilometers from the Chinese border in Chagang Province, the Hoejung-ni missile operating base will, according to informed sources, likely house a regiment-sized unit equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).
February 18, 2021, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Commercial satellite imagery acquired on January 5, 2021 and February 7, 2021 indicate that the Yusang-ni missile base is operational and that minor development (i.e., construction, etc.) has continued since our last report from May 9, 2019... Commercial satellite imagery acquired on January 5, 2021 and February 7, 2021 indicate that the…
December 24, 2020, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Dana Kim—
Located approximately 52 kilometers north of the DMZ and 125 kilometers north of Seoul, the Kal-gol missile operating base is one of the most developed of North Korea’s approximately 15-20 undeclared ballistic missile facilities. This base likely houses a reinforced brigade-sized unit equipped with 500-kilometer-range Hwasong-6 (Scud C) short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) or Hwasong-9 (Scud-ER) medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM).
September 6, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
New CSIS Beyond Parallel imagery shows the undeclared Kumchon-ni missile operating base. This is the first comprehensive public description of the base. During wartime, it is reportedly tasked with striking southern Japan and, to a lesser degree, throughout South Korea.
May 9, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
Located 150 kilometers north of the DMZ, North Korea's Yusang-ni missile operating base is one of the more recently constructed Strategic Force missile operating bases. There has been almost no open source information about this base until this study.
February 15, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Lisa Collins—
Located 250 kilometers north of the DMZ, Sangnam-ni missile operating base is an operational missile base that houses a battalion- or regiment-sized unit equipped with Hwasong-10 (Musudan) intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM). Multiple flight failures of the Musudan missile in 2016 could have also led the KPA Strategic Force to abandon the system and replace it with the more successful Hwasong-12 IRBM.
