Defense industry of North Korea

Military factories

Tanks, arms, and missiles

• First Machine Industry Bureau - supplier of machine guns, likely Type 62 Light Machine Gun and Type 73 Light Machine Gun
• Ryu Kyong-su Tank Factory - Sinhung South Hamgyong Province
• Second Machine Industry Bureau - Sŏngch'ŏn-kun, South Pyongan Province - builds Chonma-ho and Pokpung-ho MBT; likely Chuch'e-Po and Koksan artillery gun
• Third Machine Industry Bureau: Multi-stage rockets
• Fourth Machine Industry Bureau: Guided missiles
• Fifth Machine Industry Bureau: Nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons
• Tokhyon Munitions Plant

Naval

• Bong Dao Bo Shipyards, Sinpo - located on the mainland across from Mayang-do Naval base - builder of the Sang-O and Gorae class Submarines.
• Mayang-do Naval Shipyards, in northeast coast - maintenance facility with graving dock; has built some ships for the navy (12 Romeo class submarines)
• Najin Shipyards - Kowan-Class submarine rescue ship, Soho class frigates and Najin class frigates
• Nampho Shipyards - located on west coast and builds small- and medium-size submarines (Sang-O and Yugo?)
• Wonsan Shipyards - located on east coast and builds small- and medium-size submarines (Sang-O and Yugo?)
• Yukdaeso-ri Shipyards - located on west coast and has built midget submarines (Yugo-class submarines or Yono-class submarines) since the 1960s
• Sixth Machine Industry Bureau: Battleships and submarines

Aircraft

There are no known indigenous aircraft built in North Korea, factories supply components or parts for current aircraft flown such as for Tumansky RD-9 turbojet engine used by Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 and Shenyang J-6. Agreement between China and North Korea was reached in August of 1974 to construct maintenance facility for J-6 fighter jets, completion was not achieved until 1987 due to North Korea requesting for facility to also maintain J-5 and J-7. Capacity of the facility involving J-6 is to service 50 aircraft and 400 of WP-6 engines along manufacture common spare parts, also includes special tools and molds.

Another is additional sub systems for aircraft such as Tactical air navigation system that for example were known to be exported to Syria.

• Ch’onjin - small factory used to build spare parts and rebuild aircraft for the Air Force.
• Taechon - used to build spare parts and rebuild aircraft for the Air Force.
• Panghyon - North Korea's primary aircraft assembly, repair and research facility established in the mid-1980s.
• Seventh Machine Industry Bureau: Production and purchase of war planes

Space

• National Aerospace Development Administration

References

Bibliography

References

1. John Pike. "Korean People's Army - Equipment Introduction".
2. (2024-06-24). "North Korean Munitions Factories: The Other Side of Arms Transfers to Russia add in North Korea Defense Industry". 38 North.
3. (2024-07-26). "North Korea expands factories making anti-tank missiles Russia reportedly wants". NK News.
4. Bermudez Jr., p. 50.
5. (2002-07-06). "Asia Times".
6. "Air Force".
7. "North Korea's Most Important Submarine Base".
8. 군사세계, 유용원의. "북한의 무인기 MM-1".
9. https://user.guancha.cn/main/content?id=447082&s=fwzwyzzwzbt
10. "Flying under the radar - Syria's 'Special Purpose' Mi-17s".
11. "North Korea AF Narrative History".
12. (2001). "The armed forces of North Korea". I.B. Tauris.
13. (6 July 2017). "North Korea's Hwasong-14 Missile Launch Site Identified: The Panghyon Aircraft Factory {{!}} 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea". [[38 North]].