North Korea appears to have deployed a second corvette-class warship to an east coast port near the inter-Korean border in recent days, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery.

The arrival of the ship, unofficially dubbed a Tuman-class corvette and allegedly equipped with nuclear-armed cruise missiles, at Kosong Port comes as the U.S. and South Korea conducted large-scale joint naval drills in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) from Nov. 11 to 14.

The drills involved the USS George Washington Strike Group, led by the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the same name, which visited South Korea’s southeastern Busan port earlier this month.

North Korea’s newest corvette has faced a troubled development over 14 years. It left a naval factory up the coast in Munchon in September, where it had been for almost two years, in order to undergo repairs or other work at a naval base at Mayang Island further north in October.

Planet Labs satellite imagery shows it left Mayang between Oct. 15 and 21, reappearing at the October 3 Factory under KPA Navy Unit 597 in Munchon by Oct. 25.

It then showed up in an image sailing into Kosong Port on Oct. 30, as the corvette typically stationed there appeared to have been moved to the same docking spot where the Mount Kumgang tourist zone’s infamous floating Haegumgang Hotel was once parked. North Korea dismantled the hotel in 2022 as part of its efforts to remove South Korean assets from the area.

North Korea initially deployed the first of its two east-coast corvettes, dubbed the Amnok-class corvette, to Kosong Port in March 2024. It has frequently appeared in satellite imagery in the sea off the coast, indicating it is operational. 

The port is located around 18 km north of the border and is the closest naval base to South Korea on the east coast.

Two more corvettes are stationed around Nampho on the east coast, but state media has never reported on an official launch ceremony or deployment of any of the four ships.

State media claims the ships are equipped with nuclear-capable Hwasal-series cruise missiles. The ships are easily traceable by the U.S. and ROK, but are nonetheless intended as a mobile platform for nuclear missiles that can avoid tracking after launch.

Pyongyang may be sailing the ships to coincide with the joint drills in order to demonstrate its resolve and suggest it is ready to launch missiles in a scenario where the allied fleets conduct an attack.

The two DPRK corvettes appeared docked perpendicular to each other at the port in imagery taken between Nov. 1 and 9, but one was gone from Kosong Port on Nov. 11 — the first day of the U.S.-ROK naval drills — possibly conducting operations at sea.

A high-resolution image taken on Nov. 13 shows the two docked side-by-side at the port.

Meanwhile, North Korea still has not restarted construction on a large naval base at Munchon intended to be the headquarters for Kim Jong Un’s envisioned “blue-water” navy.

Workers remain actively preparing larger destroyer-class warships in Nampho on the west coast and Chongjin on the east coast for deployment next year.

Edited by David Choi