Tapchon Naval Base: Planned Naval Base Makes the Most of Natural Defenses

Kim Jong Un’s visit to Tapchon—the future home to one of the country’s flagship naval bases—is expected to kick-start a significant construction project on North Korea’s east coast.

The new base will sit on the site of a once-planned fishing port and will rely on natural defenses that could make it difficult for rival forces to penetrate. Depending on the ultimate size of the base, it could become one of the country’s most important military ports.

Figure 1. Overview of Tapchon new naval base area. Image: Google Earth, annotation by 38 North. For media licensing options, please contact [email protected].

The base construction comes as North Korea has been highlighting developments in naval technology, such as new warships and submarines, and amidst ongoing upgrades to some of the country’s military airfields.

Background

The work at Tapchon began ten years ago, but not with a naval base in mind. Kim Jong Un had given instructions for the construction of a large fishing port in the area, and it appears that the then-naval facility at Tapchon, which housed hovercraft for amphibious landings, was being sacrificed to make way for fishing boats.

As detailed in our previous report, the hovercraft were moved out of the area just before work began in 2015 which included demolition of three of the four hovercraft sheds. Land reclamation and pier construction were already well underway in 2018 when a new rail connection was added.

To extend the railway from Koam to Tapchon, engineers had to construct the country’s first maritime railway bridge—something for which they later received national awards.

The bridge was completed in May 2018, and Kim Jong Un visited the site soon thereafter to inspect the project. In a report of the visit, North Korean state media said that Kim had “years ago” laid plans for “a large-scale fishing village zone in the areas of Koam, Tapchon and Chonapho.”

According to the report, the new railway connection was built to speed up construction of the fishing village and transport fish once the project was opened. Construction at Tapchon was focused on a large fishing port until at least mid-2018.

When construction shifted to building a naval base is unclear, as Tapchon has received scant mention in state media since 2018. The area’s only mentions have been in relation to stories reminiscing about Kim’s visit to inspect the bridge. Plans for a fishing village area were not repeated again. Even in the recent state media coverage of Kim’s recent visit, there was no mention of the fishing plans.

While the area is in part used for fishing today, it is clear the original scale of the project was never realized.

Bridge Changes

One of the first major changes at the site happened only a year after the bridge was opened when it was converted to carry both rail and road traffic.

Photos from Kim’s visit show the bridge carries a single-track railway, laid on a typical gravel bed, and two small paths on either side that would be suitable for foot or two-wheeled traffic.

Figure 3. Kim Jong Un visits Tapchon in 2018. At this time, the railway sat atop gravel flanked by cement. (Source: Korean Central News Agency)

In 2019, roads were extended to both ends of the bridge. The gravel railbed was replaced with concrete, making it suitable for vehicles to cross in addition to trains.

Figure 4. Close up of road and rail bridge materials, which have changed since Kim Jong Un visited the site in May 2018. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2024. For media options, please contact [email protected].

Location

While Tapchon might have been originally noticed for its fishing grounds, its location at the top of Wonsan Bay makes it a strategic place for a naval base.

The area is surrounded by mountains, islands and the Hodo Peninsula, which offer natural protection for the base, making it eminently defensible and allowing anti-air and missile defense installations to be emplaced on the peninsula and mainland.

Underwater acoustic and magnetic sensor arrays can be installed to detect, identify, track, and destroy surface and subsurface threats with popup mines, torpedoes, and anti-ship missiles. Multiple layers of defense can be created, starting from the outer islands to the inner harbors.

These features indicate that Tapchon could become one of the country’s largest naval bases.

The hovercraft that were previously at Tapchon have been redeployed to several bases, including one on a peninsula approximately two kilometers south of the area. The peninsula also houses a base for Sohung-Class guided missile patrol boats and has a probable ZPU-4 anti-aircraft position atop the mountain with revetments and storage bunkers.

Figure 5. Overview of sites on Ounkumi Peninsula. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2024. For media options, please contact [email protected].
Figure 6. Close up of Sohung PTG base on Ounkumi Peninsula on imagery from August 30, 2024. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2024. For media options, please contact [email protected].
Figure 7. Overview of Nango FAC Base on Ounkumi Peninsula on imagery from August 30, 2024. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2024. For media options, please contact [email protected].
Figure 8. Close up of patrol boat base on Ounkumi Peninsula on imagery from August 30, 2024. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2024. For media options, please contact [email protected].
Figure 9. Close up of anti-aircraft battery site on Ounkumi Peninsula on imagery from August 30, 2024. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2024. For media options, please contact [email protected].

The nearby Hodo Peninsula has been the site of numerous missile launch tests and about three kilometers east of Tapchon is the North Korean Navy’s October 3 Dockyards and Munchon Naval Base. Halfway down Wonsan Bay, just above the city of Wonsan, is a large palace where Kim Jong Un and family members spend much of their summer.

Figure 10. Overview of Hodo Peninsula in relation to Tapchon area. Image: Google Earth, annotation by 38 North. For media licensing options, please contact [email protected].

Current Status

Commercial satellite imagery from August 30 shows several fishing boats moored at a pier on the western side of the port, and fishing nets are visible drying on the dockside. Fishing nets are also visible in the bay approximately 500 meters offshore.

Figure 11. Fishing nets and boats observed at Tapchon on imagery from August 30, showing that the area is still utilized for fishing in some capacity. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2024. For media options, please contact [email protected].

However, little other infrastructure is present, indicating that whatever grand fishing plans did exist, they were never realized.

There are 10 finger piers, three in the western zone and seven in the east. The piers on the west are each 100 meters long, and on the east, there are five piers that are 150 meters long, a 200-meter pier and a 300-meter pier. It is this latter pier that Kim Jong Un was photographed on.

All of the piers are 10 meters wide. The five piers on the east side are evenly spaced every 75 meters, except for one gap of 160 meters. This is exactly enough room to construct an additional pier and maintain the 75-meter spacing. The piers all have a facility at the end, likely a utility closet for electricity or gasoline supply.

There are also a number of marine railways used to take ships to and from the sea. Several have associated winch houses.

Figure 12. Overview of pier area at Tapchon, showcasing different pier lengths. Construction progresses in the area. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2024. For media options, please contact [email protected].

Across the site there are numerous buildings under construction, although it is too early to determine their intended purpose. It is possible that some were associated with the fishing port plans and will serve no purpose in a future naval base.

The railway station features a station north of the single track and a long 400-meter platform to the south. The track runs alongside approximately 250 meters of the platform. The modifications to the railway bridge carried out in 2019 mean the base is currently serviced by road and rail, albeit over a single-track bridge that carries both traffic.

Looking Ahead

With Kim Jong Un’s visit, the North Korean military will be expected to start turning his wishes into reality, and significant construction work at the site should begin.

In addition to the construction of buildings, the road, rail and electric power infrastructure will require extensive expansion. Upgrades to air and maritime defenses are also likely.

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