{"id":71672,"date":"2025-07-23T09:43:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T09:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2025\/07\/23\/mysterious-annex-at-north-korean-missile-plant-has-analysts-puzzled\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:21:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:21:44","slug":"mysterious-annex-at-north-korean-missile-plant-has-analysts-puzzled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/07\/23\/mysterious-annex-at-north-korean-missile-plant-has-analysts-puzzled\/","title":{"rendered":"Mysterious annex at North Korean missile plant has analysts puzzled"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">THE HAGUE, Netherlands \u2014 Construction at a North Korean missile factory could portend an upgrade to the country\u2019s rocketry capabilities, according to satellite imagery and expert analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The building activities, which began last year at the Chamjin missile factory, 20 driving minutes southwest of Pyongyang, involve a mysterious annex to a factory building that has left outside observers puzzled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Named the Thaesong machine plant by North Korean state media, the Chamjin missile factory dates back to at least the 1960s, declassified U.S. Keyhole satellite imagery shows. The complex is nestled in a hard-to-access valley between three mountain peaks, secured by checkpoints on the entry roads, and defended by anti-aircraft nests. Wedged in the valley are two factory sites, some residential areas, a rocket engine test stand, and countless tunnel entrances into the sides of the abutting mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least two generations of the ruling Kim dynasty have visited the missile factory, images released by North Korean state media and independently geolocated reveal, which underscores its importance to the leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Satellite images show that the western industrial area where the construction is currently underway has remained largely untouched for decades. Some of the factory halls were clearly dilapidated, with gaping holes in their roofs. In November 2023, the largest factory hall \u2013 the one now hosting the mysterious annex \u2013 received a makeover, including a new roof. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, in July 2024, large-scale construction began across the facility. Three industrial halls and a series of smaller buildings closer to the tunnel entrances were razed to the ground, foundations were laid for new, larger factory halls, and significant earth-moving work got underway. Simultaneously, the previously reroofed factory hall received its annex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A known missile production site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A separate area of the same complex down the road to the east is known to be involved in the production of liquid-fueled missiles, with state media publishing images of leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting rockets and key components for the engines that appear to have been manufactured there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Burmese delegation visited the Chamjin complex in 2008 and reported that it was producing SCUD ground-to-ground missiles. A photo of such a missile that the delegation took appears to have been taken in the eastern section of the facility. Memoirs of an Iranian missile commander similarly include reference to a missile factory \u201con the road to Nampo,\u201d the port city located to the southwest of Pyongyang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2383\" height=\"1441\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Chamjin-annotated.png.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Chamjin-annotated.png.png 2383w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Chamjin-annotated.png.png?resize=300,181 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Chamjin-annotated.png.png?resize=768,464 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Chamjin-annotated.png.png?resize=1024,619 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Chamjin-annotated.png.png?resize=1536,929 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Chamjin-annotated.png.png?resize=2048,1238 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2383px) 100vw, 2383px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An annotated satellite image from June 9, 2025, showing the ongoing construction in the western part of the Taesong Machine Plant, a known North Korean missile factory. (Planet Labs, provided by Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Annotated by Linus H\u00f6ller.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Less is known about the western area, where the new construction is taking place. In declassified CIA documents from the 1970s, the facility is described as being involved in the production of liquid-fueled anti-aircraft missiles. Parts of the factory are built into the side of a mountain, with several tunnel entrances visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Photos released by state media and located by analysts show Kim Jong-Il, the previous leader and Kim Jong-Un\u2019s father, walking through tunnels at the facility. Thanks to these photos \u2013 some of which were seen hanging on the wall in a factory museum at the newer, eastern facility \u2013 we know that the two areas are organizationally connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between the two halves, this western area is the only that has access to underground facilities, which are usually a staple of North Korean military sites for the relative safety they provide from air strikes. North Korea was all but flattened during the Korean War, when U.S.-led forces dropped 635,000 tons of bombs on the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colin Zwirko, a correspondent for NK News, was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/pro\/major-construction-underway-at-factory-building-north-koreas-biggest-missiles\/\" rel=\"\">first analyst to publicly confirm<\/a> the connection between the eastern and western complexes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the initial spurt in activity at the western site in 2024, a lull in construction followed. In North Korea, where labor laws are practically nonexistent and the army is commonly marshalled for building, some projects can be completed at breathtaking speed \u2013 but the country also faces severe resource constraints and quickly changing leadership priorities, so a halt to construction isn\u2019t uncommon either, said Zwirko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s something Kim Jong-Un does all the time, where suddenly it will change and they build something new, you know, halfway through the project,\u201d he said. Indeed, some time after the work on the large factory hall near the tunnel entrances stalled, the three large buildings down the road were demolished, and earth-moving work began there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Long, tall objects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Observers said it\u2019s too early to say for sure what role the new plant will play in the ecosystem of North Korea\u2019s weapons technology. Confirmation may come only once Kim Jong-Un visits the completed facility and North Korean state media releases images of it. But based on the factory\u2019s history, coinciding announcements and previous trends, some explanations seem particularly likely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The known use of the Chamjin complex for missile production, coupled with visible architectural indicators, suggests that the area will continue to be involved in missile-related production. One such sign is the tall, narrow, windowless annex attached to the upgraded factory hall farthest down the street from the underground manufacturing tunnels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shape of the building suggests it is designed for testing long, tall objects, said John Ford, research associate at the California-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, who has been tracking the North Korean missile program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1664\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-513282360.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-513282360.jpg.jpg 2500w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-513282360.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-513282360.jpg.jpg?resize=768,511 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-513282360.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,682 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-513282360.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1022 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-513282360.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1363 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This undated picture released from North Korea&#8217;s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 2, 2016, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un visiting the Thaesong machine factory in Nampo city. (KNS\/KCNA\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Missiles fit this description, and not much else does, he said. Similar architectural features \u2013 although none exactly like the one in Chamjin \u2013 are visible in satellite imagery of other North Korean factories known to be involved in the production of transport-erector launchers, trucks carrying missiles for mobile launch capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ford used satellite imagery and shadows to calculate the dimensions of the annex, which he says is around 65 meters long, 18 meters wide and about 15 meters tall. \u201cThat isn\u2019t tall enough for the vertical on their largest missiles,\u201d he said, which leaves \u201cmuch to ponder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One possible explanation is that the rebuilt factory will be involved in the production of North Korean air-defense systems of the Pongae 5 or the newer Pongae 6 variant. The latter was announced by Pyongyang earlier this year but has not yet been publicly shown, Ford said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dimensions check out, as does the timing and the facility\u2019s history \u2013 after all, the CIA had identified it as making anti-aircraft missiles of the SA-2 variety half a century ago. The factory hall with the annex may be involved in the assembly of trucks carrying the anti-aircraft missiles. The tall annex could be used to test the extension of the launcher tubes into their vertical position. The chassis would likely be produced elsewhere, said Ford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI speculate it\u2019s likely, but it\u2019s too early to know for sure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An alternative explanation might be that the tall portion of the building is used for testing of another sort related to missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe reason why you would build it tall like this is you want to test the whole missile at once,\u201d said Ford. It would be assembled inside the hall, then hoisted into place by a crane. \u201cThen you would do whatever testing it is to the entire body of the missile.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A spy satellite nexus?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zwirko, the NK News correspondent, pointed out that the construction also coincided with North Korea\u2019s announcement of a new engine for its satellite launch rocket. Last year, Kim Jong-Un announced an ambitious goal of launching three reconnaissance satellites, which the country failed to achieve. Pyongyang has since held radio silence on the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis could all come together to show us that it\u2019s all stalled because they\u2019re still working on the production of these engines at this factory,\u201d Zwirko said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, he cautioned, there was no indication that North Korea was really in need of a mass production facility specifically for space launch engines. And when it comes to missile development, rather than space launch capabilities, North Korea is moving away from liquid fuel, he said, noting that there hadn\u2019t been a liquid-fueled missile test in several years. North Korea has publicly announced its goal of making its entire missile arsenal solid-fuel, which requires no fueling up in the field before launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A particular focus of recent military factory upgrades in North Korea has been exports to Russia. For his war against Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has been importing large numbers of North Korean-made missiles, shells and equipment. Many of the factories producing these items have undergone significant and rapid upgrades since the start of the Moscow-Pyongyang cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf the pace is moving along quickly, it\u2019s probably related to where they\u2019re getting the money, which is Russia,\u201d said Zwirko. \u201cWatching for how quickly it finishes could tell us a lot about their priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added: \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of strange stuff going on with the weapons factories in the last couple of years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Construction at a North Korean missile factory could portend an upgrade to the country\u2019s rocketry capabilities, according to satellite imagery and experts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":120194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":45,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[45,160,11,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3463],"class_list":["post-71672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-daily-news-roundup","category-global","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"RTR5VPNW5ZBDDPPVH6AMJLC7PE","arc_canonical_url":"\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/07\/23\/mysterious-annex-at-north-korean-missile-plant-has-analysts-puzzled\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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