Pyongyang General Satellite Launching Ground

Pyongyang General Satellite Launching Ground
Name	Pyongyang General Satellite Launching Ground
Location	Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, North Korea
Operator	National Aerospace Development Administration
Established	1990s

Contents

History
Facilities
Launch vehicles
Launches
International reactions
See also

Pyongyang General Satellite Launching Ground. It is a major rocket launch and missile test facility operated by the National Aerospace Development Administration of North Korea. The site, also known as the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, has been central to the country's space program and the development of its intercontinental ballistic missile technology. Its activities are a persistent point of international contention due to their dual-use nature and violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.

History

The facility's origins trace to the late 1990s, with significant construction and upgrades beginning in the 2000s under the direction of the Korean People's Army. Its development accelerated under the leadership of Kim Jong-il and later Kim Jong-un, who visited the site in 2012 to oversee the launch of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite. In 2018, following the 2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit, Kim Jong-un pledged to dismantle the site's engine test stand and launch pad, a process observed by international journalists. However, subsequent satellite imagery analysis by organizations like the Center for Strategic and International Studies indicated reconstruction and expansion efforts, continuing the site's role in advancing weapons of mass destruction delivery systems.

Facilities

The launching ground is situated on the coast of the Yellow Sea in Cholsan County, featuring a main launch pad with a mobile gantry tower for vertical launches. Key infrastructure includes a rail-mounted transfer building for assembling and moving launch vehicles, a launch control center, and several support buildings for payload integration and propellant storage. A prominent feature was a dedicated stand for testing the large thrust chambers of engines for rockets like the Unha and Hwasong series. The complex also houses advanced tracking, telemetry, and radar systems, with security provided by the Korean People's Army Strategic Force.

Launch vehicles

The primary launch vehicle historically associated with the site is the Unha carrier rocket, a derivative of the Taepodong-2 intercontinental ballistic missile. The Unha-3 successfully deployed the Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2 satellite in 2012. In recent years, the focus has shifted to newer, more powerful systems like the Chollima-1, used for launching the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satellite, and the Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. These vehicles are developed by entities such as the Second Academy of Natural Sciences and are integral to the military-civil fusion policy of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Launches

Notable launches include the failed Kwangmyongsong-1 mission in 1998 from a related site, the failed Unha-2 launch in 2009, and the successful Unha-3 launch in December 2012, which placed a satellite into orbit. A subsequent attempt in 2016 using an Unha variant failed shortly after liftoff. After a hiatus, launch activity resumed with the Chollima-1 in 2023, which failed during its first two flights before successfully orbiting the Malligyong-1 in November 2023. These launches are often timed around significant political events like the Day of the Sun or meetings of the Supreme People's Assembly.

International reactions

The international community, led by the United States, South Korea, and Japan, has consistently condemned launches from the site as violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 and subsequent resolutions, which prohibit North Korea from any activities using ballistic missile technology. Organizations like the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Proliferation Security Initiative have monitored related technology transfers. The Six-party talks and diplomatic efforts, including those by the European Union and China, have repeatedly stalled over this issue. Analysts from RAND Corporation and the Stimson Center argue the launches provide critical data for the Korean People's Army Strategic Force's nuclear weapons delivery systems.