Threat to the U.S. and East Asia: Discovery of a Ballistic Missile Base in North Korea

A research center has reported that North Korea has established a secret military base near its border with China, believed to be used for storing long-range ballistic missiles.

According to a report released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), based in Washington, the undisclosed ballistic missile base is located in North Pyongan Province (northwest), less than 27 kilometers from the Chinese border.

The report states that the Sinpoong-dong base likely houses intercontinental ballistic missiles, including some capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

It warns that these missiles “could pose a nuclear threat to East Asia and the American continent.”

The report also notes that the facility is among the “15 to 20 ballistic missile bases, as well as maintenance, support, and storage facilities for missiles and warheads, that North Korea has not declared.”

This marks the “first in-depth open-source study confirming the existence of the base.”

The discovery comes at a time when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has recently called for a “rapid expansion” of his country’s nuclear capabilities.

Since the failure of the 2019 Hanoi summit between Kim Jong-un and former U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korea has repeatedly asserted that it will not relinquish its weapons and has declared itself a nuclear power in an “irreversible” manner.