Against the backdrop of North Korea disengaging from initially welcomed diplomatic talks with South Korea (ROK) and America, Pyongyang has again shifted toward a more belligerent stance.
Already at a technological and military disadvantage vis-a-vis both the US and South Korean Armed Forces, the Korean People’s Army (KPA) is now fortifying key underground bases to serve as missile storage and leadership bunkers.
Each of these underground facilities, including Sinpung-dong, Hoejung-ni and Yongjo-ri, reveals a distinct pattern in North Korea’s overall strategy for contingency planning if Pyongyang finds itself in a full-scale war on the peninsula.
Sinpung-dong BasePyongyang’s first strategic site, Sinpung-dong, is located just 27 kilometers from the Chinese border. The strategic underground facility is located under the Pugo Mountains, which are narrow and nearly impassible.
Construction of the Sinpung-dong facility began in 2004, with the base fully operational by 2014. Within the base are concrete storage facilities for Pyongyang’s ballistic missiles, such as the Hwasong 15 and 18.
In August 2025, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published satellite imagery that gives a deep insight into the Sinpung-dong base.
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According to the CSIS report, if North Korea is embroiled in war either against the US-ROK alliance or Japan, the missiles in the Sinpung-dong could be deployed by the Korean People’s Army Strategic Force (KPASF) from various approved launch sites.
Hoejung-ni BaseThe Hoejung-ni missile base is also located near the Chinese border (approximately 25 kilometers). Akin to Sinpung-dong, Hoejung-ni is strategically located near China to deter US-ROK forces from striking the facility, as damage could spill over and draw the Chinese military into a conflict.
Hoejung-ni is designed to support missile operations and deployment and is fitted for a regiment-sized KPASF unit. Construction in Chagang province began around 2003, and the facility was fully operational by 2021. Its main function is to serve as a secure site for missile storage and active deployment.
Due to the dense terrain of Hoejung-ni, the base is also strategically positioned with two underground storage facilities and two fortified checkpoint bunkers for the KPASF’s missile deployments.
Yongjo-ri BaseThe Yongjo-ri underground base, located only 27 kilometers from the Chinese border, is one of the older strategic operational facilities. Kim Il Sung, the initial founder of North Korea, reportedly had civilians removed from the area to convert it into a massive base sometime around the mid-1990s.
Yongjo-ri is fitted with 12 underground tunnels: six for missile storage and six for KPASF personnel and potential leadership. Mid-range Nodong missiles are known to be placed at Yongjo-ji’s underground facilities. With each tunnel having an estimated five to six compartments, the facility should be able to hold 30-36 estimated ballistic missiles.
Instead of missile platforms, Yongjo-ri hosts mobile launchers that the KPASF could use tactically on the battlefield. Furthermore, Yongjo-ri is of key importance to Pyongyang as the base is suspected by US and South Korean intelligence agencies of being a site of uranium enrichment.
Strategic missile beltsThe upshot of all these sites is that Pyongyang has turned its country into arguably the most militarized state in the world.
The missile sites the DPRK displays in state media are the ones the Kim Jong Un regime wants the world to know about, while South Korea, Japan and the US are using satellite imagery, human intelligence (HUMINT) and open-source data to locate additional hidden bases.
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Currently, North Korea disperses the underground and above-ground missile bases into several “belts.” The tactical belt is located in the vicinity of Wonsan and Haeju, which are its first line of defense and the launch sites for North Korea’s short-range offensive missiles.
The operational belt, which is situated geographically within Pyongyang, holds medium to long-range missiles while the strategic belt holds ICBMs that threaten the continental United States. Furthermore, numerous underground facilities can serve as failsafe options for the KPASF if some of the most hardened bases are taken out in an armed conflict.
North Korea’s key underground missile bases along the strategic belt highlight the importance of the facilities to the Kim regime’s militarization policies. And crucially, placing some bases close to the Chinese border, the DPRK hopes to deter American strikes through fear of spillover into China in the event of a conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
Julian McBride is a defense analyst and contributing editor at 19FortyFive
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