North Korea Resumes Construction of Tapchon Naval Base

North Korea has stepped up construction at the Tapchon naval base.

Commercial satellite imagery from Vantor, analyzed by experts at the 38 North project, shows this.

The base is located on North Korea’s east coast in Wonsan Bay, near the existing Muncheon naval base.

The first signs of renewed activity appeared in July 2026. Workers began setting up temporary accommodation at the site, while crews cleared and leveled areas and built new roads.

Meanwhile, crews began repairing and expanding existing piers. A new pier or launch structure is also being built at one site. Some old buildings left over from an earlier fishing port project have been demolished.

Bases for a New Ocean-Going Fleet

North Korea officially announced plans to establish the base in September 2024, after Kim Jong Un visited the area.

In a report at the time, the state-run KCNA news agency quoted the North Korean leader as saying the country would soon receive ships and submarines that its existing infrastructure could not accommodate. He therefore described the construction of a modern naval base as an “urgent task.”

Kim Jong Un also ordered the construction of a modern military port capable of supporting naval weapons systems and deploying air defense and coastal defense systems around the base.

In June 2026, during the commissioning ceremony for the new Choe Hyon destroyer, Kim Jong Un again highlighted the infrastructure problem. He said that North Korea lacked a base capable of accommodating such large warships and reported that the Workers’ Party leadership had already decided to build new naval bases.

In September, the second ship of this class, the Kang Kon, also joined the Eastern Fleet. Its commissioning ceremony was held in Wonsan. In July 2025, North Korea also announced plans to build a third Choe Hyon-class destroyer.

Construction activity has also been observed at the Nampo naval base on North Korea’s west coast, alongside work at Tapchon. The lead ship of the class, the Choe Hyon, was built there and launched on April 25, 2025, after approximately 400 days of construction.

Vantor satellite imagery shows a new large production building under construction at the shipyard. A substantial area next to two existing shipbuilding halls is also being cleared, and the waterfront is being expanded.

Another major construction project is underway on Sok Island, about 30 kilometers southwest of Nampo.

The island has several entrances to underground port facilities. Roads have been widened to accommodate truck traffic, and new buildings have been erected, some resembling military or construction-worker barracks.

However, no significant construction work has so far been observed immediately around the entrances to the underground ports, and the purpose of the island’s extensive redevelopment remains unknown.