New information about North Korea often prompts experts and observers to ask further questions, and the recent revelation of a small new airstrip near Wonsan is no exception. The new airstrip, which is close to a Kim family compound and likely used by North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, is too small for most types of fixed-wing aircraft. This raises the question: What type of plane might Kim use to travel here?
The new, small airfield, located near the Kim family compound in Wonsan on the country’s east coast, was discovered on imagery from Google Earth by analyst Curtis Melvin and detailed in his analysis at North Korean Economy Watch. Because the airstrip is only about 560 meters long, it would only accommodate helicopters and small airplanes capable of taking off and landing in a short distance.
New information about North Korea often prompts experts and observers to ask further questions, and the recent revelation of a small new airstrip near Wonsan is no exception. The new airstrip, which is close to a Kim family compound and likely used by North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, is too small for most types of fixed-wing aircraft. This raises the question: What type of plane might Kim use to travel here?
The new, small airfield, located near the Kim family compound in Wonsan on the country’s east coast, was discovered on imagery from Google Earth by analyst Curtis Melvin and detailed in his analysis at North Korean Economy Watch. Because the airstrip is only about 560 meters long, it would only accommodate helicopters and small airplanes capable of taking off and landing in a short distance.
John G. Grisafi is an analyst and Korean linguist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Having previously worked as an analyst for the United States Army in South Korea and studied Korean at the Defense Language Institute, he is now majoring in East Asian Languages & Civilization and History at the University of Pennsylvania.