North Korea has repurposed the site of the Kim family golf course into a new base for long-range ballistic missiles, satellite imagery shows. 

NK News released satellite images of the facility.

The base is situated in southern Pyongyang and has been identified by NK News as a potential launch system. Several analysts have confirmed that it is likely designed to launch long-range missiles.

It is located near the former location of the Kim family mansion, which was demolished last year. 

The golf course had been in place for decades, making it an ideal choice for disguising a missile base.

Over the summer, construction crews poured concrete into the valley and covered it with grass and sand, creating artificial pitches that resemble a golf course. 

A building, large enough to house multiple mobile launchers, was also constructed nearby.

The facility features circular platforms, which analysts suggest may serve as launch pads for missiles. Additionally, reinforced roads and wide-radius turns have been built, likely to accommodate large missile launchers.

North Korea’s Expanding Missile Program

In late February, North Korea reportedly tested a new cruise missile with a mobile chassis, intended to target concrete buildings. It was called “strategic”.

The exercises off the west coast of North Korea took place on the morning of Wednesday, February 26, local time. They were observed by Kim Jong-un.

This missile launch was the first since January 25, when North Korea tested a long-range submarine-launched cruise missile, the Pulhwasal-3-31. 

The initial test of this missile took place on January 24 from a ground-based launcher. A follow-up test from a submarine took place on February 28, 2024.