New Building in Hamhung Area: North Korea’s Chemical Facilities: Site Profile 2

Analysis of satellite imagery of the Hamhung region of North Korea has identified a recently constructed building of interest in the immediate vicinity of a series of buried facilities and storage tanks. The location of the building away from other chemical plants as well as nearby air defences raises questions as to the purpose of the facilities in the immediate area.

The recently constructed building itself contains equipment that is consistent with the handling of chemicals with potential links to North Korea’s chemical warfare programme. However, all these features could equally point to its potential use for other possible weapons-related facilities, such as the production or storage of rocket fuel.

The production or storage of chemical warfare agents in this building has not been determined, but the building’s construction and layout, associated facilities and proximity to industrial chemical production facilities make it a site of particular interest. These nearby chemical production facilities include the Hungnam Fertiliser Complex and the 8th February Vinalon Complex, which between them handle or produce several industrial chemicals that could be used as precursors or intermediates in the production of chemical warfare agents.

The wider area near this building of interest includes other buried areas and another above-ground facility that may also be associated with the handling of chemicals.