A main bridge in the North Korean capital appears to have been reinforced in recent weeks and a new road has been built from a military parade training compound, NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery reveals, suggesting planning for an expected military parade in October continues apace.

The developments come alongside new construction in the large-scale project to build what are likely military vehicle storage facilities and to expand streets within the Mirim parade training grounds.

The Mirim compound has been used by the North Korean military in the past to practice displays of troop formations and large weapons such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) on transporter erector launchers (TEL) ahead of parades in central Pyongyang.

The new work also follows major renovations in Kim Il Sung Square, where military parades typically take place, which appeared ongoing as of early June.

The parade is expected to be held on the October 10 ruling party foundation day.

Preparing the path

Located at the eastern edge of Pyongyang just south of the Taedong River, the Mirim parade training ground has long housed dozens of heavy military vehicles holding the DPRK’s latest weapons in the weeks before a parade at the square across town.

It appears that this time, however, authorities decided to not only improve the typical preparation process with construction of new permanent facilities there, but also to make moving vehicles across town for parade day easier and safer.

Analysis of medium-resolution satellite imagery provided by Planet Labs shows that a new road from the expanded area at the eastern edge of Mirim is under construction, connecting to Taehak Street.

The new road began to show in the imagery between May 13 and 27, and by the latest image taken on June 1 appeared unpaved and still not connected to the other new streets being built inside Mirim.

Taehak St is the road used by vehicles navigating out of Mirim in the past towards Kim Il Sung Square, where they would have to cross the Okryu Bridge.

Work to reinforce all ten of the Okryu Bridge’s support legs appeared to begin in late April as well, however.

A source told NK Pro last month that reinforcements to at least the western shore underpass of the Okryu Bridge are common before such parades, but the recent work appears to go a step further.   

High-resolution images taken on April 28 and May 1, reviewed by NK Pro through the EOS Landviewer platform, show ten patches of concrete over each of the legs on the eastbound side of the bridge road under construction.

Cement mixer trucks were seen parked at four of the patches on April 28, and each of the ten patches appeared covered in white in a May 11 Planet Labs image. 

The work could merely be part of scheduled maintenance, related to the nearby Pyongyang General Hospital construction, or specifically to prepare its use for the next military parade.

It could also signal North Korea’s plans to display heavier vehicles than in years past.

In the February 8, 2018 parade, for example, a new 9-axle TEL for the Hwasong-15 ballistic missile — North Korea’s longest-range ICBM, revealed in November 2017 — made its first appearance on Pyongyang’s streets.

October’s parade could present an opportunity for leader Kim Jong Un to unveil the “new strategic weapon” first touted in a late-December speech.

The bridge work may also be to prepare for a display of more Hwasong-15 ICBMs, with North Korea having signaled plans for the mass production of that weapon and related TELs after having only shown off four of them at the February 2018 parade.

Mirim Expansion

NK Pro was first to report on each of the recent developments at Mirim, from what appeared to be practice for an imminent but ultimately canceled parade in January, to resumed practices in March, and the latest work on new roads and structures in the compound.

It appeared in early May that the roads, used to mimic those on and around Kim Il Sung Square, were being expanded to cover the site of a heliport runway, and that there would be a larger area this year for possibly more permanent covering structures for TELs and other parade components.

In the latest Planet Labs imagery taken since late May (shown above), these roads appear almost fully formed and the new structures appear in advanced stages of construction as well.

The Seoul-based Daily NK confirmed recent NK Pro analysis in a report Tuesday, citing a source inside North Korea as saying the new expanded structures — covering double the area used in past years as storage for military parade equipment — were to be used as a permanent base for parade preparation.

The source told the outlet the new structures will be used as parade management headquarters and as storage for weapons and vehicles used in the parade and practices.

There are five new structures that are larger but still resemble those which appeared only temporarily in the same spot ahead of parades in years past. 

Two measure roughly 250×30 meters, with smaller rectangular structures on the ends, all encircling what appears to be a new road which began to be built between May 29 and June 1, according to Planet imagery.

Construction of new internal roads also appeared in the same period to connect these buildings to the two new, wider 500-meter roads extending from the existing mock Kim Il Sung Square roads.

The new work inside the Mirim compound appeared ongoing as of June 1, while the Daily NK source told the outlet it is expected to finish in July in time for the arrival of soldiers to kick off intensive training before the October parade.

Revamping Kim Il Sung Square

Meanwhile at Kim Il Sung Square in downtown Pyongyang where the parade is expected to take place, demolition and renovation of the ground and grandstands, from where Kim Jong Un typically views the event, also appeared unfinished as of June 1 (shown above).

A wall went up around May 3 blocking passersby from seeing into the main square in front of the Grand People’s Study House, while the grandstands began to be partly knocked down a couple of days later.

Work continued throughout the available Planet imagery in May, and the grandstands — where the portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il were removed as part of the renovations — still appeared under construction on June 1. 

Edited by Oliver Hotham