Foreign media reports indicate that construction activities have begun in earnest around Dapsoton Port in North Korea's Wonsan Bay.

Dapsoton Port is the site inspected two years ago by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, where he emphasized the necessity of building a large-scale naval base.

Citing an analysis of commercial satellite imagery on October 2, the U.S. North Korea-focused outlet 38 North reported that over the past few months, new buildings appearing to serve as quarters for construction workers have been erected across multiple zones in Dapsoton Port, Munchon, Kangwon Province. Land-clearing work for new road construction and repair and expansion projects for existing pier facilities have also commenced.

In September 2024, leader Kim Jong-un inspected a naval base site and stated that "the construction of a naval base capable of operating state-of-the-art large warships is an urgent task."

Regarding the related Korean Central News Agency report, 38 North analyzed that the site visited by Kim was Dapsoton Port.

Located in Wonsan Bay, Dapsoton Port is part of naval facilities formerly garrisoned by the East Sea Fleet Command of the North Korean military.

It was used as a hovercraft base for the North Korean Navy until 2013, and coastal maintenance work has been carried out since 2014 following the relocation of the base.

In 2018, leader Kim instructed that Dapsoton Port be utilized as a large-scale civilian fishing boat pier, but it appears the utilization plan has changed as the construction of a new naval base has emerged as an urgent task.

38 North assessed that although Kim emphasized base construction as an "urgent task" during his 2024 inspection of Dapsoton Port, the construction showed little progress from the inspection until this past summer, only recently beginning in earnest.

The analysis also suggested that facility expansion work is underway at the Nampo Naval Shipyard on the west coast, where North Korea's new 5,000-ton destroyer, the Choe Hyon, was built in June.

In August, foreign media reports also emerged suggesting that North Korea had embarked on constructing a naval base in Sokdo near Nampo Port.

38 North assessed that "the construction at Dapsoton Port, along with the expansion of other naval bases across North Korea, demonstrates a state-driven focus on strengthening naval facilities and capabilities."

(Photo: Korean Central News Agency, Yonhap News)