North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently conducted an inspection tour of a key military-industrial enterprise, reviewing the production status of artillery shells and the expansion and modernization efforts planned for the first half of the year. North Korean state media, which had previously blurred the faces of factory personnel to conceal their identities, fully revealed all individuals in the June 14 report, drawing considerable attention.
Jeffrey Lewis, Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), analyzed photos released by North Korean state media on Wednesday. He asserted on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account that the facility shown matches the military factory Kim visited in February 2016, August 2023, and February 2024.
While the location and name of the military-industrial enterprise were withheld in recent reports, comparisons with past inspection photos reveal striking similarities in weapon parts, production equipment, and even the ceiling structure of the factory.
Notably, there is a similarity between Kim’s site visits in February 2023 and the recent inspection. On February 15, 2023, North Korean media reported that Kim observed a test firing of the new “Padasuri-6” ground-to-sea missile, believed to have taken place in the Sea of Japan. Alongside this, the media reported that Kim revisited the key military factory he had toured in August 2023.
The June 13, 2025, inspection of the key military-industrial enterprise occurred just one day after a launching ceremony at the Najin Shipyard on the east coast on June 12. This marks two consecutive years in which Kim conducted inspections of this key defense production facility before and after guiding operations along the East Sea.
This shift may indicate a change in North Korea’s stance following the official acknowledgment of troop deployments, reflecting a display of confidence.
The shift in revealing faces this year may be linked to North Korea’s official acknowledgment of troop deployments abroad. Previously, in 2016, the factory was reported as the Donghung Machinery Factory under the Ryongsong Machine Complex in northern Hamhung, but without any mention of weapons manufacturing.
In recent reports, North Korea officially designated the site as a “super-large caliber artillery shell production factory” and an “important military factory,” confirming its role as a weapons production base.
However, except for Kim and key leaders, the faces of factory personnel were previously blurred, likely to conceal arms dealings with Russia and evade sanctions.
In 2023, North Korean media disclosed that the factory was developing ballistic precision control for multiple rocket launcher shells, specifically 122mm and 240mm calibers, closely resembling weapons exported to Russia.
The full disclosure of personnel faces in this year’s inspection report reflects a shift in tone following the signing of a military alliance-level treaty between North Korea and Russia in June 2023, as well as the public admission in April 2025 of North Korean troop deployment to Russia.
Since acknowledging the deployment, North Korea has repeatedly asserted the legality of its actions under international law and bilateral treaties. On May 14, the Rodong Sinmun published praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin for the North Korean soldiers, alongside photos of generals attending Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9, highlighting the deployment as an achievement.
In this context, factory workers producing weapons for export to Russia are being portrayed as contributors to this success, while North Korea seeks to demonstrate its actions as legitimate and proud.
