North Korea Completes Redeployment of Bombers at Uiju Airfield

North Korea Restores Uiju Airfield Bomber Squadron
Facility Previously Used as COVID-19 Quarantine Center

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Korean Uiju Airfield, which had been converted into a railway freight transport and quarantine facility, has completed the redeployment of a bomber squadron after about four years, according to the North Korea specialist media 'Beyond Parallel' operated by CSIS.

Yonhap News

On the 9th (local time), according to 'Beyond Parallel' of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), this airbase located in Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, is assessed to have fully restored its operational readiness as of January this year. Satellite images confirmed that all 34 Il-28/H-5 bombers, which had been dispersed to airbases such as Changjin-eup Airbase in South Hamgyong Province and Seondeok Airfield, have returned.

North Korea, which completely closed its borders to prevent the influx of COVID-19 into the country, removed the bombers from Uiju Airfield at the end of February 2021 and converted the facility into a quarantine center for goods imported from China, connected by railway.

To this end, Uiju Airfield was equipped with five cargo handling platforms and eight large warehouses, but as the pandemic ended and railway trade with China and Russia normalized by mid-2023, its role was reduced.

In July last year, floods occurred around the Amnok River, partially submerging the railway connecting Sinuiju and Uiju Airfield. In response, North Korean authorities appear to have decided to restore Uiju Airfield as a military base instead of repairing the damaged railway section.

In fact, satellite images taken on August 18 of the same year showed that most of the cargo previously stored at Uiju Airfield had disappeared, and by September 8, warehouse buildings and industrial railways had been dismantled, according to 'Beyond Parallel.'

The media outlet stated, "The restoration of Uiju Airbase indicates that North Korea has shifted its priorities related to this facility from COVID-19-related activities back to military training and operational readiness in accordance with national security strategy."