North Korea operates 60 to 80 new military factories

Reports suggest that North Korea has established new military factories near Jagang Province, a development that South Korean authorities are currently verifying. The government believes this is an effort to boost weapon production, notably artillery shells, which have seen a significant increase in supply, possibly for export to Russia. Earlier this month, during a National Assembly Intelligence Committee audit, the National Intelligence Service stated, “We believe North Korea has supplied over 1 million artillery shells to Russia, which is currently in a conflict with Ukraine.”

“We have learned that new factories are operational in Jagang Province, and we are currently investigating their construction date,” a government source stated on Monday. “This is unusual, given the challenging power supply situation in North Korea that has typically hindered factory operations.” The source also reported that there are now more than five newly operated military factories, including those remodeled this year.

According to sources, there are currently 60 to 80 munitions factories operating in North Korea, primarily located in Jagang Province, South Pyongan Province, and North Pyongan Province. The “2022 Defense White Paper” published this year indicates that there are approximately 300 military factories in North Korea, including those for domestic purposes. However, due to challenges in power and raw material supply, it is estimated that fewer than 100 factories are operational. In reality, most of the factories capable of operation are currently in use.

The utilization rate of North Korea's military factories has been steadily increasing since the beginning of this year, with a significant spike noted in August and September. This surge in blatant production appears to coincide with North Korea's arms export agreement with Russia at the end of July and the North Korea-Russia summit in September. Another government source emphasized that North Korea is capitalizing on the unique opportunity presented by the Ukrainian conflict.

Ganggye City in Jagang Province and Guseong City in North Pyongan Province are known for their high concentration of factories. These areas in North Korea are involved in the production of various munitions, including artillery shells, bombs, multiple rocket launchers, and missile warheads.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com