[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] A report revealing that North Korea is operating an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) unit in the border area with China has been made public. North Korea's reinforcement of missile units near the Chinese border is analyzed as an attempt to avoid preemptive strikes by South Korea and the United States and to send a message to the U.S. by exposing them to reconnaissance satellites.
On the 7th (local time), Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and researcher Joseph Bermudez, among others, stated in a report published on the North Korea-specialized online site "Beyond Parallel" that North Korea has established a missile base in Hoejung-ri, Hwapyong County, Jagang Province, and that it is one of the bases of the North Korean Strategic Forces (which operate long-range missiles).
The report noted that construction of this base began in the late 1990s, but there has been no sign of unit deployment. However, it predicted that if ICBMs cannot be deployed, intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) would be stationed there.
South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are also closely monitoring the Hoejung-ri missile base. Through joint exercises, they have conducted pinpoint strike training on 700 Joint Defense Priority Integration (JDPI) targets, including nuclear facilities, major command facilities, and key missile bases. The Hoejung-ri base is included among these targets.
Yang Wook, Associate Research Fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said, "North Korea's attempt to build an ICBM base despite knowing it will be exposed to satellites appears to be a message to the U.S. signaling the breaking of the nuclear and missile moratorium."
Other military experts highlight that the base is only 25 km from the Chinese border. The military and defense research institutions currently classify North Korea’s deployed missile lines into three belts for convenience, with the Jagang Province area near China belonging to the third belt. This region mainly hosts long-range missiles such as ICBMs and IRBMs aimed at the U.S. mainland.
Shin Jong-woo, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said, "North Korea's recent strengthening of the third belt region signals the operational deployment of long-range missiles," adding, "It is expected that various medium- and long-range missiles will be deployed in the future."
Lee Ho-ryeong, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Defense Research Institute, said, "Jagang Province is a mountainous area with less burden from South Korea-U.S. preemptive strikes," adding, "Especially since it is close to the Chinese border, a preemptive strike by South Korea and the U.S. in wartime could provoke Chinese intervention."
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