Buried missile facilities, mystery telecom site and North Korea’s naval buildup
North Korea News Podcast by NK NewsShow Notes
Jeongmin Kim hosts this week’s NK News Podcast and is joined by Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko to discuss a series of recent satellite imagery investigations into North Korea’s military infrastructure, beginning with an unusual new facility at a factory producing short-range ballistic missiles supplied to Russia.
Colin explains why North Korea built and then buried the structure, what its location may suggest about safety or security requirements and how recent missile activity could relate to Pyongyang’s evolving battlefield experience from the war in Ukraine.
The conversation then turns to a large new complex beside Pyongyang’s international telecommunications station, where 17 circular structures could eventually support satellite dishes used for communications or monitoring foreign broadcasts.
Later, he breaks down the severe flooding near a major military facility in Shingae before looking at renewed construction at a long-stalled naval base north of Wonsan, as North Korea builds larger warships without suitable facilities to host them.
About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
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Editor’s note: This interview was recorded in July 2026. Some references to recent events and political developments reflect the situation at the time of recording and may differ from subsequent developments.
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