CSIS: N. Korea has completed building a new ICBM base

It has been revealed that North Korea has built a new base for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) near its border with China and already begun its operation. Amid North Korea’s seven missile launches this year, the newly built missile base is thought to be one of North Korea’s 20 secret missile bases currently in operation.

Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Jennifer Jun on Monday (local time) published an analysis report on North Korea’s Hoejong-ni missile operating base in Beyond Parallel, a website specializing in North Korea. The Hoejong-ni missile base has been under construction since 2005, but this is the first time that a detailed analysis report about the base has been published.

According to the report, the ICBM operating base, located 25 kilometers from the border with China, is 6km² in size, which is twice the size of Yeouido (2.9km²). Satellite imagery of the base captured in 2020 indicated that excavation continued until 2020. However, an imagery captured on Jan. 21, 2022 suggested that the construction of the base has been completed.

In addition, the missile base is likely to house a regiment-sized missile unit. U.S. experts believe that North Korea has deployed the four missile units it recently reinforced in underground bases near Jagang Province and North Pyongan Province, including the Hoejong-ni base, which are all close to the North’s border with China.

In particular, the report cited anonymous sources and said the Hoejong-ni base will soon be equipped with intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) and eventually with ICBMs. It also added that the base has a space for ballistic missile transporter-erector-launchers (TEL). The report predicted that when the base is equipped with missiles, “Then unit will represent a vital component of what is presumed to be North Korea’s evolving ballistic missile strategy, expanding existing strategic-level deterrence and strike capabilities.”