North Korea in early May began the construction of a new building at the Ministry of People’s Security compound, having demolished a three-story structure that had long stood at the site.

One of the top three law enforcement organs of North Korea, the Ministry of People’s Security provides bodyguards for the country’s elites and operates the country’s prison system – among other duties. 

Experts speculate it is possible that the new building could be utilized by the ministry’s officials, allowing them to work in a more modern workplace environment, and North Korean media is yet to comment on the purpose of the new structure. 

Located in the northern part of Pyongyang, next to the state-run Pongwha Art Theater, the multi-floor building as seen on the left side of the above image was intact as of March 21 this year, according to imagery taken by the San Francisco-based Planet Labs.  

But images taken afterward show that the rapid deconstruction of the building took place between the end of March and early April: by April 2 the roof of the building had disappeared, and by April 26 the whole building was gone. 

It’s not certain when the now dismantled building was constructed, but Google Earth’s earliest available image from June 13, 2000, suggests it was built long before then, with a layer of red rust visible covering most of the roof.

Since 2015 and the successful construction of the luxury Mirae Scientists Street in Pyongyang, North Korea’s post-war “Pyongyang Speed” slogan has resurfaced to promote speedy construction and the redevelopment of the city.

This emphasis has continued during the construction of the recently finished Ryomyong Street and the empty island turned high-end sports complex at Mother’s Island.

Work on the Ministry appears to be taking place at “Pyongyang Speed”, too, with signs of rapid framework assembly visible since the beginning of May.

A Planet Labs image from May 6 showed the ground empty, but eight days later work on the concrete frame could be seen taking place. An image taken only a week later showed shadows next to the structure, suggesting that the building had risen above the ground level.

Planet Lab’s image taken on May 27, the latest image available at the time of writing, showed that the red soil observed in a May 17 image was now covered in gray concrete.

The site is in a strictly controlled government compound, only about 250 meters away from the headquarters of the Ministry of State Security (Bowibu): North Korea’s secret police.

To date, no news related to the project has been reported by North Korea’s state-run media.

While it is common for North Korean state media to publish extensive coverage of major construction projects, Pyongyang tends to keep silent on work on government compounds – such as the new multi-floor offices of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK.

Two Seoul-based experts said that the officials working in the Ministry of People’s Security would likely soon be enjoying a “modern workplace environment.”

“This demonstrates that the emphasis on modernization in North Korea is not simply limited to factories or production lines, but even to government buildings,” said Dr. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES) at Kyungnam University.

“We have to keep in mind that all of North Korean public institutions are focusing on earning foreign currency. This project is evidence that the ministry has earned ‘a lot’ of money over the past few years.”

“It is possible that they have deconstructed that to build a high rise style office, in line with the recent construction trend in the North’s capital,” Dr. Cheong Seong-chang, senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, told NK News.

“The number of computers and cell phone users in North Korea has increased considerably during the last few years, which would naturally lead to the increasing necessity of the police to have a modern working place to do their job better.”

Featured Image: Google Earth, edited by NK News

Edited by Kevin Search and Oliver Hotham