Satellite capture of recent lodging construction and road construction in the Dapchon Port area of ​​Muncheon, Gangwon-do

Satellite capture of recent lodging construction and road construction in the Dapchon Port area of Muncheon, Gangwon-do

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Ji-heon = Construction activities have begun in earnest in the area of Dapchon Port in Muncheon, Gangwon-do, which Chairman Kim Jong-un inspected two years ago while emphasizing the need to build a large-scale naval base, 38 North, an American media specializing in North Korea, reported on the 2nd (local time) by analyzing commercial satellite images.

According to reports, satellite photos have shown that new buildings that appear to be housing for construction workers have been built in several areas around Dapchon Port in recent months.

In addition, land grading work for the construction of a new road in the port area has begun, and work to repair and expand existing dock facilities has also begun.

Previously, the Korean Central News Agency reported that in September 2024, Chairman Kim inspected the naval base site and said, "Constructing a naval base to operate the latest large ships is an extremely difficult task." 38 North analyzed that the site that Chairman Kim visited at the time was Dapchon Port.

Dapchon Port, located in Wonsan Bay, is part of a naval facility where the North Korean military's East Sea Fleet headquarters was once stationed. It was used as a hovercraft (aircraft) base for the North Korean Navy until 2013, but when the base was relocated, coastal maintenance work began in 2014.

Chairman Kim ordered Dapchon Port to be used as a large-scale private fishing dock in 2018, but it appears that he changed the site utilization plan as the construction of a new naval base emerged as an urgent task.

Although Chairman Kim emphasized the construction of the base as an "unfinished task" during his inspection of Dapchon Port in 2024, the media assessed that construction did not show any significant progress until this summer after the inspection, and that construction seems to have begun in earnest only recently.

Meanwhile, 38 North reported that, in addition to the construction of the Dapchon Port base, facility expansion work is also underway at the Nampo Naval Shipyard on the west coast.

Nampo Naval Shipyard is where the new 5,000-ton class destroyer ‘Choi Hyeon-ho’ was built, which was commissioned in June. In addition, NK News, an American media specializing in North Korea, reported in August that North Korea appears to have begun construction of a naval base at Seokdo near Nampo Port on the west coast. 38 North also assessed that a large-scale construction project has been underway in Seokdo since last summer, but noted that its purpose is unclear.

38 North evaluated, “The construction of Dapchon Port is progressing along with the expansion of other naval bases throughout North Korea, demonstrating the state-led interest in strengthening naval facilities and power.”