Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported on Friday that satellite imagery has confirmed the existence of an urban combat training facility in North Korea, supporting claims made by a North Korean prisoner of war captured by Ukrainian forces. The prisoner had described a site designed to resemble South Korean cities.
According to RFA, Google Earth images from November 25, 2022, show the training ground near Goksan, North Hwanghae Province. The facility, nestled among hills and fields, features a sports field, headquarters, barracks, and numerous mock urban structures.
The complex spans approximately 3.5 km (2.2 mi) in length and 1.5 km (0.9 mi) in width, with model buildings covering about 43 hectares (106 acres). The western section houses the headquarters and roughly 40 barracks, while the eastern area contains a runway and various training zones. Additional barracks appear to be located south of the headquarters.
Jacob Bogle, a U.S. commercial satellite analyst, identified four Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) sites within the Goksan facility. Bogle’s analysis suggests that the facility matches the description provided by the North Korean POW.
Bogle noted that most structures are single-story, with some two-story buildings present—the largest building is up to 36 meters long.
Approximately half of the buildings lack roofs and consist only of skeletal frameworks. Bogle suggests this indicates they are likely mock-ups for training purposes rather than functional structures.
The urban warfare training site appears to have been developed primarily after 2020. Before then, only a few partial structures existed, but at least 72 model buildings have been added since.
RFA’s analysis suggests the facility mimics a generic urban environment rather than replicating specific South Korean cities.
Google Earth images from August 14 and September 28, 2024, show signs of ongoing use, including changes in the soil color and new structures that appear to be targets.
Previously, South Korean lawmaker Yoo Yong Won disclosed that two captured North Korean soldiers had described a training facility in the Goksan area designed to replicate Seoul’s Jongno District, Busan, Daegu, Jeonju, and Jeju Island.