Villages Bordering Sohae Satellite Launching Station Razed
Commercial satellite imagery shows North Korea completely demolished two small communities bordering the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in March, razing several hundred buildings.
The demolition means the villages of Jangang-dong and Jangya-dong, both part of Cholsan County in North Phyongan province, have disappeared from the map. All but a handful of buildings by the port remain after the work, which points to either security concerns or the further expansion of the space port.
Given how satellites and anti-satellite weaponry are in the country’s new five-year plan, expansion of North Korea’s main space center may be underway.
Figure 1a. Jangya-dong and Jagang-dong villages on imagery from February 25, 2026. Image © 2026 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact [email protected]; Figure 1b. Jangya-dong and Jagang-dong villages razed on imagery from April 1, 2026. Image © 2026 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact [email protected].
Activity Overview
Sohae Satellite Launching Station , also known as Tongchang-ri after its nearest town, has been the site of all seven of North Korea’s satellite launch attempts since 2012.
Following Kim Jong Un’s visit to the site in March 2022, construction and expansion work has been almost constant at the facility since mid-2022.
First, a new launch pad was built, additional test facilities were added or upgraded, and more recently, construction has focused on a new assembly building, a tunnel through the site’s mountainous terrain, and a sea port. The pace of work has been relatively slow by North Korean standards, and it seems much remains to be done.
In his policy speech at the opening session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly on March 23, 2026, Kim stressed the need to develop the country’s science and technology and emphasized “AI and space technologies” as primary areas of interest. In the new five-year plan set forth at the recent 9th Party Congress, Kim also set goals for “more evolved reconnaissance satellites” and “special assets” for attacking enemy satellites.
Kim was at Sohae in late March to oversee a ground jet test of solid-fuel rocket engine. State media did not disclose the exact day or location of the test, but photos carried with the story appear to show the Horizontal Engine Test Stand at Sohae.
No satellite launches have been attempted since the country’s fourth attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite in May 2024. However, after Kim Jong Un’s summit in 2023 with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East, space is believed to be one area of cooperation between the two countries.