North Korea still lacks a suitable naval base to host its new class of large warships, despite leader Kim Jong Un’s vow to deploy the first vessel “early” this year, according to NK Pro analysis.

Planet Labs imagery shows construction has not resumed on a large naval base project that started 12 years ago in Munchon on the east coast.

Kim said that reviving the project was an “urgent” and “immediate” task related to the new warships during his last public visit to the site over 18 months ago, highlighting the site’s “strategic vantage” for operations in the region. 

He also said at the time that new “large surface warships and submarines” under development “cannot be anchored by the existing facilities for mooring warships” — in other words, ruling out hosting them at existing bases.

This suggests Kim’s timeline was too optimistic and North Korea will delay the deployment of the first new destroyer for at least a few months, or it will sail to a naval base or port that is supposedly ill-equipped to receive it. 

The existing locations are unlikely to have new and specialized facilities to service the ship’s modern armaments and equipment.

While the Munchon base (KPA Navy Unit 291) is still dormant and devoid of any actual facilities, an expansive quay was built by 2017 before the project was abandoned. The location boasts at least 10 piers and six slipways for mooring large ships and submarines, as well as the Koam-Tapchon bridge to link the base to the rail network.

It’s possible that North Korea could resume the project soon and build barracks and other needed facilities within a matter of months.

Kim also ordered renovations to KPA Navy Unit 155 just to the south during a visit in Aug. 2023, where there has been more active construction in the last year — possibly signalling a change to where the new destroyers will be stationed.

Planet Labs imagery shows work started last August to expand the base’s quay and build a new pier and breakwater, though construction remains stalled on various new buildings throughout the site.

North Korea launched two 5,000-ton, 143-meter warships in April and June last year, which it calls Choe Hyon-class destroyers. 

The first was built at the Nampho Shipyard on the west coast, where it is still undergoing equipment and weapons testing. Kim conveyed it to the East Sea Fleet, meaning it will need to sail around South Korea when it’s ready for deployment.

The second destroyer was built at the Chongjin Shipyard on the east coast. It capsized during a failed launch in May — likely causing significant damage — before being recovered and rapidly readied for another launch ceremony just weeks later. State media has not reported on any testing of the warship.

Kim said the Chongjin destroyer should deploy in “the middle” of 2026.

A third Choe Hyon-class destroyer started construction at Nampho last July, while preparations appeared to begin recently for the fourth warship at Chongjin. 

The DPRK leader vowed that 2026 would mark the start of an uninterrupted spree of launching at least two destroyers or larger cruisers each year, part of plans to establish a nuclear-armed blue-water navy that sails overseas and performs demonstrations outside enemy ports. 

State media has suggested the country’s first nuclear-powered submarine is close to officially launching as well, publishing photos showing the vessel’s hull completely welded together last December.

Meanwhile, North Korea has deployed two corvettes to a former tourist pier at Kosong (Mount Kumgang) near the inter-Korean border on the east coast.

Satellite imagery shows the ships, purportedly equipped with nuclear-capable cruise missiles, frequently coming and going and conducting operations off the coast in recent months, despite not being stationed at a naval base with dedicated facilities.

Edited by David Choi