[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Container Appears Again at North Korea-Russia Border Weapon Trade Site

Planet Labs Satellite Images Released
Active Train Movements in Border Areas
Ships Confirmed at Najin Port North Exclusive Pier
KN-23 Short-Range Ballistic Missile
Possibility of Support up to Super Large Multiple Rocket Launcher

Signs of arms transactions between North Korea and Russia have been repeatedly detected. Recently, it appears that North Korea has provided Russia with KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles as well as 600mm super-large multiple rocket launchers.

North Korea held a meeting between Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the 19th, and the Korea Central Television reported on the 20th that an exchange plan for 2024-2025 was signed between the two countries. [Korea Central Television screen] [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to intelligence authorities on the 22nd, train movements have become active in the border area between North Korea and Russia. Transport containers were also repeatedly spotted at North Korea's exclusive dock at Najin Port.

In satellite images of the "North Korea-Russia Friendship Bridge" released by the private satellite company Planet Labs to the US government broadcaster Voice of America (VOA), active transactions between North Korea and Russia can be observed. The North Korea-Russia Friendship Bridge is typically where trains traveling between North Korea and Russia stop. Earlier, the US White House identified this location as a site of arms transactions between North Korea and Russia last year.

In the satellite images released by Planet Labs, blue objects filling a storage yard can be seen. These are presumed to be cargo covered with blue tarps measuring approximately 100m in width and 30m in length. VOA predicted that the five trains at the time were likely heading to Russia and that the trains may have been loaded with North Korean weapons, including ballistic missiles.

Large ships were also confirmed at Najin Port. At North Korea's exclusive dock at Najin Port, a ship approximately 100m in length was docked, and three days later on the 15th, another ship of the same length entered the port. In front of these ships, containers loaded over a length of 100m were also confirmed. Earlier, in October last year, the White House released satellite images showing about 300 standard maritime transport containers approximately 6m in size loaded at Najin Port, stating that North Korea had provided Russia with military equipment and ammunition equivalent to more than 1,000 containers. Since the first ship was spotted on August 26 last year, it is estimated that 26 ships entered and exited the port within that year.

The number of containers analyzed by our military authorities is even higher, reaching about 5,600. Millions of rounds of ammunition, including 152mm shells and 122mm multiple rocket launcher shells, were loaded into containers and transferred to Russia. Recently, authorities have identified that North Korea has provided Russia with the North Korean version of the Iskander, the KN-23 short-range ballistic missile, as well as 600mm super-large multiple rocket launchers. It is presumed that they are sending newly developed weapons or test development products indiscriminately, including short-range missiles and super-large multiple rocket launchers, which are effectively considered ballistic missiles.

The super-large multiple rocket launcher, with a maximum range of about 380km, flies at a low altitude of about 30km at high speed, making it difficult to intercept from the ground. The military also assesses that it is capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads. Additionally, the military is paying attention to the possibility that North Korea may sell a new type of close-range ballistic missile (CRBM), first test-fired in April 2022, to Russia. This missile is about 5m in length with a range of less than 300km, but if equipped with a high-explosive warhead, it can cause mass casualties or destroy buildings.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.