North Korea is developing a military complex for troops deployed to Russia, including facilities for soldiers, fallen warriors, and their families. The project, dubbed Saebyul Street, was ordered by Kim Jong Un and is part of Pyongyang’s urban expansion plan. This development has been incorporated into the ongoing Hwaseong District construction project, which has been underway for five years. Completion is estimated for December 12.
On October 23, Kim attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Overseas Military Operations Combat Meritorious Hall, a memorial to honor fallen soldiers. Korean Central Television reported on October 24 that Kim’s vehicle arrived at the construction site after heading southeast from an intersection featuring a central circular flower bed.
Intelligence sources indicate that this intersection is located between two significant landmarks: the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are interred, and the Daeseongsan Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery, the final resting place of Kim Il Sung’s comrades from the anti-Japanese armed struggle. The site also borders the eastern outskirts of Pyongyang, where construction of 10,000 residential units in the fourth phase of the Hwaseong District project is ongoing.
In August, Kim met with families of fallen soldiers in Pyongyang, announcing plans to create a new street for veterans’ families in the Daesong District. He proposed naming it Saebyul Street to honor the soldiers’ achievements. Kim also pledged to inter the remains of fallen soldiers at a prime location in the nearby arboretum and erect a memorial.
During the February groundbreaking ceremony for the 10,000-unit housing project in the Hwaseong District, officials unveiled plans for a new capital construction initiative. This project aims to expand eastward towards Gangdong after completing the Hwaseong District. Some analysts believe Saebyul Street may be part of this broader development plan.
Experts have noted similarities between buildings depicted in February’s perspective drawings and those near the Combat Meritorious Hall. This suggests that North Korea may be developing Saebyul Street as part of the Hwaseong District’s fourth phase or creating a new area centered around the Combat Meritorious Hall.
In September, NK News, a U.S.-based outlet focusing on North Korea, reported that satellite imagery from Planet Labs revealed the construction of approximately 50 apartment buildings. This construction began in March, opposite the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun and the Daeseong District Arboretum.
Synthesizing reports from North Korean state media with government and expert analyses, it appears that Saebyul Street will feature a memorial honoring fallen soldiers and new residential units for their families. Given North Korea’s history of incorporating advanced housing and cultural facilities in Pyongyang’s new developments, this project could be viewed as a specialized new city for deployed troops and their dependents.
The Hwaseong District construction project, announced at the 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in January 2021, aims to build 50,000 housing units in Pyongyang over five years, at a rate of 10,000 units annually until 2025. North Korea has been systematically executing this plan, with projects in the Songshin-Songhwa District (2021) and subsequent phases of the Hwaseong District (2022-2024). The fourth phase, which broke ground in February, is expected to be completed between late 2023 and early 2024.
