October 2021
Preliminary Analysis of 30 September 2021 Anti-Aircraft Missile Test of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by Open Nuclear Network
On 1 October 2021, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reported that the Academy of Defence Science tested a newly developed anti-aircraft missile (see Attachment).
September 2021
Observations on the 28 September 2021 Hypersonic Missile Test of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by Tianran Xu
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reported that, in the morning of 28 September 2021, the Academy of Defence Science tested a hypersonic missile referred to as a Hwasong-8. Below are initial observations based on information released by KCNA.
September 2021
The First DPRK Missile Launch from a Railmobile Launcher by Tianran Xu, Jaewoo Shin, Katsuhisa Furukawa
Official media of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reported on 16 September 2021 that a newly established "railway-borne missile regiment" launched two ballistic missiles from a rail-mobile launcher on 15 September 2021. This is the first time the DPRK has revealed this ballistic missile basing mode, a mode known to have been adopted only by the Soviet Union/Russia.
September 2021
Briefing on Recent DPRK Missile Launches 11-12 September 2021 by Tianran Xu
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) claims to have conducted test launches of a "new type long-range cruise missile" (Figure 1) on 11 and 12 September 2021. According to DPRK State media, the missiles flew 1,500 km before hitting their targets. This is the first known missile test launch since 25 March 2021 when the DPRK launched two short range ballistic missiles. Based on publicly released information, this briefing offers a preliminary analysis of this new type of cruise missile.
September 2021
Assessment of the Impact of August 2021 Rainfall and Flooding in the DPRK by Tianran Xu, Katsuhisa Furukawa, Veronika Bedenko, Jaewoo Shin
In August 2021, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) experienced heavy rainfall and severe flooding. ONN has analysed available open-source information and identified locations of possible damage and assessed the scope of such damage. This paper provides a summary of ONN's findings.
July 2021
ONN Monitoring Report: Activities Continue at the Abandoned 50 MWe Reactor at Yongbyon by Veronika Bedenko
In the monitoring report on the 50 MWe Reactor at Yongbyon from 9 July 2021, ONN noted that the roof of one of the buildings adjacent to the main reactor hall had been removed. The scale of the reported activity appeared to be larger than the previously reported instances in 2018 and 2019.
July 2021
New Constructions at the Chamjin Missile Factory by Tianran Xu
The Chamjin Missile Factory, also known as the Thaesong Machine Plant, [1] is an important facility for ballistic missile production in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Recent satellite imagery shows new construction activities on the premises of the factory’s main compound, although the purpose of the new structures is not clear.
July 2021
Continued Construction Activities at Yusang-ni Missile Base by Matthew Frank
The Yusang-ni Missile Base is one of the largest and most recently completed North Korean missile bases and reportedly hosts a number of ballistic missile systems. Recent imagery from June 2021 indicates that some relatively minor construction continues at the facility, with a number of old buildings being torn down and new buildings being added.
July 2021
New Construction at the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground by Tianran Xu
The Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground is the oldest carrier rocket and ballistic missile launch site of the Democractic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Recent commercial satellite images of this site reveal that new construction took place in March 2021 at a location in between the two launch complexes of the launching ground (one previously used for launches and the other unfinished).
July 2021
ONN Monitoring Report: New Activity at Abandoned 50 MWe Reactor at Yongbyon by Veronika Bedenko
Analysis of satellite imagery from June 2021 revealed new activity at the abandoned 50 MWe reactor at Yongbyon, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
