Nuclear
Yongbyon nuclear complex
Operating
The heart of the nuclear program: reactors that make plutonium, a reprocessing plant and a uranium enrichment hall.
Strategic Geography
Key Sites & Strategic Facilities
Nuclear reactors, underground missile checkout shelters, DMZ border posts, Pyongyang monuments, and special economic enclaves across North Korea.
Nuclear (4)
Reactors, enrichment, test site, uranium
Nuclear
Kangson enrichment site
Operating
Suspected covert uranium enrichment plant near Pyongyang. Kim Jong Un visited an enrichment facility in 2024 in a rare public photo-op.
Nuclear
Punggye-ri nuclear test site
Restored, ready for a 7th test
All six nuclear tests (2006-2017) happened here. Tunnels were blown up for cameras in 2018, then repaired.
Nuclear
Pyongsan uranium mill
Operating
Mines and processes uranium ore into yellowcake, the raw material for the enrichment program.
Missile & space (14)
Launch sites, test grounds, submarine base
Missile & space
Sohae Satellite Launching Station
Operating, expanding
Main space launch site, also used for rocket engine tests. Launched the Malligyong-1 spy satellite in 2023.
Missile & space
Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground
Mostly idle
East coast launch site used for early long-range rocket tests (1998, 2006, 2009).
Missile & space
Sinpo shipyard
Operating
Submarine base and shipyard where submarine-launched ballistic missiles (Pukguksong) are built and tested.
Missile & space
Kusong testing ground
Operating
Inland missile test area used for Hwasong-12 and other launches.
Missile & space
Sunan (Pyongyang airport)
Operating
Pyongyang’s international airport doubles as an ICBM launch pad. Several Hwasong-15 and -17 shots were fired from here.
Missile & space
Sinpung Missile Operating Base
Active (CSIS Beyond Parallel)
Approximately 27 kilometers from the China-North Korean border, the Sinpung-dong Missile Operating Base is an undeclared North Korean missile base.
Missile & space
Yongnim Missile Operating Base
Active (CSIS Beyond Parallel)
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.
Missile & space
Hoejung Missile Operating Base
Active (CSIS Beyond Parallel)
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).
Missile & space
Yusang Missile Operating Base
Active (CSIS Beyond Parallel)
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.
Missile & space
Kal Missile Operating Base
Active (CSIS Beyond Parallel)
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).
Missile & space
Kumchon Missile Operating Base
Active (CSIS Beyond Parallel)
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.
Missile & space
Sangnam Missile Operating Base
Active (CSIS Beyond Parallel)
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.
Missile & space
Sino Missile Operating Base
Active (CSIS Beyond Parallel)
Located 212 kilometers north of the DMZ, Sino-ri is an operational missile base that houses a regiment-sized unit equipped with Nodong-1/-2 medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM). It is one of the oldest of approximately 20 undeclared missile operating bases and is reported to serve as the headquarters of the Strategic Rocket Forces Nodong missile brigade. It may have also played a role in development of the newest generation Pukkuksong-2 (KN-15) ballistic missile first tested or unveiled by North Korea on February 12, 2017.
Missile & space
Sakkanmol Missile Operating Base
Active (CSIS Beyond Parallel)
Sakkanmol is an undeclared North Korean operational missile base for short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) and is one of approximately 20 undeclared missile sites and one of the closest to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and Seoul, giving it the shortest flight time. Sakkanmol currently houses a unit equipped with SRBMs but could easily accommodate more capable medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs).
Regime (3)
Seats and symbols of power in Pyongyang
Regime
Kumsusan Palace of the Sun
Mausoleum where the embalmed bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state.
Regime
Kim Il Sung Square
Site of the military parades where new missiles are often shown for the first time.
Regime
Ryugyong Hotel
105-story pyramid started in 1987 and still not open. A symbol of the regime’s priorities.
Border & crossings (5)
Where people cross into China, and the DMZ
Border & crossings
Hyesan
Border city on the Yalu, across from China’s Changbai. Historically a major smuggling and crossing point, now heavily fenced.
Border & crossings
Musan
Mining county on the Tumen River, a common crossing area. Several well-known escapees came from here.
Border & crossings
Hoeryong
Border city on the Tumen. The river is narrow here, so it was a frequent crossing point before new fences went up after 2020.
Border & crossings
Sinuiju–Dandong bridge
The Friendship Bridge over the Yalu. Most legal trade with China goes through here, and so does a lot of smuggled media.
Border & crossings
Panmunjom (Joint Security Area)
The truce village in the DMZ. A soldier escaped across it under fire in 2017.
Economy (4)
Mines, zones and showcase projects
Economy
Musan iron mine
One of the largest open-pit iron mines in Asia. Ore exports to China were a big source of hard currency before sanctions.
Economy
Kaesong Industrial Region
Closed since 2016
Joint zone where South Korean companies employed over 50,000 North Korean workers. Shut down in 2016. The North blew up the nearby liaison office in 2020.
Economy
Wonsan-Kalma resort
Opened 2025
Beach resort Kim Jong Un pushed for years, opened in 2025 mostly for Russian tourists. Also near a common missile launch area.
Economy
Rason special economic zone
Free trade zone where North Korea borders both China and Russia. The rail and road link to Russia runs through here.