A new construction project is underway at one of North Korea’s most important weapons factories long associated with long-range nuclear missile manufacturing, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery. 

While still in the early stages, the project at the Thaesong Machine Factory may signal Pyongyang’s intentions to upgrade production capabilities for long-range missile engines or other components, following leader Kim Jong Un’s repeated vows to mass-produce such weapons in recent years.

The factory appeared most recently in state media in Jan. 2023, when Kim Jong Un and his young daughter were shown