Recent observations from North Korea’s key submarine base at Sinpo Shipyard have captured sequential movements of submarines, including the Kim Kun Ok Hero Submarine. These developments have raised the possibility that North Korea might be preparing for a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test launch.
On June 14, the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reported through its North Korean-focused outlet Beyond Parallel, that over the past five weeks, there has been an unusual surge in submarine activities at the Sinpo Shipyard, including the Kim Kun Ok Hero Submarine and the 8·24 Hero Submarine.
The media outlet stated that these submarines are considered to be “the core of North Korea’s ballistic missile submarine, SLBM, and submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) development programs.” It also indicated that these activities could “either be preparations for a sea trial of the Kim Kun Ok Hero Submarine this summer, preparations for additional launches of SLBM·SLCM, or both.”
According to the report, the Kim Kun Ok Hero Submarine, which was commissioned last September, was recently moved to the dry dock (a structure used to allow large ships to enter and exit coastal waters for maintenance or repair) after being moored at Sinpo Shipyard. North Korea claims that the Kim Kun Ok Hero Submarine is the first tactical nuclear attack submarine capable of launching a nuclear attack from underwater.
The media outlet speculated that “although it’s not clear exactly what work is being carried out on the submarine, the erection of a tower crane in the dry dock suggests that it is related to the installation of launch tubes for sea trials.”
Between the 8th and 17th of last month, as the Kim Kun Ok Hero Submarine was moved to the dry dock, the 8·24 Hero Submarine (of 2200t whale class) was relocated under a security canopy in its place. Then, between the 28th of last month and the 4th of this month, a telescopic crane was installed above the security canopy over the 8·24 Hero Submarine and was gone by the 6th, as confirmed in photos.
The media outlet explained that while the purpose of these movements is unclear, the telescopic crane has occasionally been seen being used for maintenance or modification work on the 8·24 Hero Submarine, or mounting experimental SLBMs.
Furthermore, a barge used for submarine missile tests was moved to a secure area and positioned at the rear of the 8·24 Hero Submarine.