Location: Area around Kap’hyŏn-dong (갑현동), Hŭich’ŏn (熙川市), Chagang Province (滋江道), North Korea [Note: Hagap (하갑), Nammyŏn (남면), Hŭich’ŏn-kun (熙川郡), North Pyŏng’an Province is an old administrative name for Kap’hyŏn-dong. In 1949, Hŭich’ŏn-kun became part of Chagang Province, which was formed from part of North Pyŏng’an Province. Hŭich’ŏn is now a city.]

Subordinate to: Probably the 5th Machine Industry Bureau (5機械工業總局), Korean Workers Party (朝鮮勞動黨) [Note: The 5th Machine Industry Bureau was originally under the Atomic Energy Committee (原子力委員會), which is currently called the General Department of Atomic Energy (原子力總局). However, in 1987, when the Atomic Energy Committee was renamed the Ministry of Atomic Energy Industry (原子力工業部), the 5th Machine Industry Bureau was directly placed under the Korean Workers Party.]

Primary Function: Possible production of highly enriched uranium (HEU), possible reprocessing and storage of plutonium, and possible high explosive tests

Description: According to a diplomatic source, the United States and South Korea received reliable information in 1996 about a suspect underground nuclear facility in an area that US intelligence analysts call Hagap. This is an old name for an area around Kap’hyŏn-dong, Hŭich’ŏn, Chagang Province. North Korean defector Kang Myŏng Do claims to have seen a large excavation project in this region when he was traveling from Hŭich’ŏn to Kanggye, Chagang Province, in January 1989. Kang claims that the “Third Engineer Bureau (第3工兵局) was constructing tunnels at the site. [Note: The Third Engineer Bureau of the Nuclear Development Unit (核開發部隊3工兵局) built the nuclear facilities in Yŏngbyŏn-kun, and reportedly is responsible for the construction of all North Korean nuclear facilities.] Kang said he saw the construction in Tongshin-kun (東新郡), which is adjacent to Hŭich’ŏn in Chagang Province; however, it is unclear if Kang viewed another construction site or if was confused about the name of the location. The (South) Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) reports this site might include an underground nuclear reactor, a reprocessing facility, a storage facility, and a high explosive test site. According to KAERI, there are tunnels connecting the facilities in this area. However, the precise functions of these facilities and tunnels have not been confirmed. In October 2002, North Korea admitted that it possesses a program to enrich uranium, and the Hagap facility is a possible site for the uranium enrichment program. According to intelligence and diplomatic sources in Seoul, US government officials briefed the South Korean government around 10 October 2002 about suspicious sites for North Koreas uranium enrichment program. Hagap was one of three suspected sites; the others were Yŏngjŏ-ri” and the Academy of Sciences.

	Updated April 2003

Key Sources:
Kim Min Sŏk and O Yŏng Hwan, “Puk, Uranium Nongch’uk Shilhŏmjangso ‘Pyŏngsŏng Kukkagwahag’wŏn’ Yu’ryŏk,” Joongang Ilbo, 19 October 2002, <http://www.joins.com/>; Yonhap News Agency, “Mi’guk, Pukhaek Kaebal ‘Ŭishim’ Shisŏl 3 Kot,” Hankryoreh Shinmun, 19 October 2002, <http://www.hani.co.kr/>; Oh Young-hwan and Kim Min-seok, “North Moved Nuclear Research Site,” Joongang Ilbo, 19 October 2002, <http://english.joins.com/>; Eric Rosenberg, “U.S. Suspects North Korea Building is Nuclear Arms Facility,” Times Union, 18 January 1998, p. F3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>; Yonhap News Agency, 26 August 1998, in “Koreas: South, USA Reportedly Searching for North’s Underground Nuclear Facilities,” BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 26 August 1998, Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; Vladimir Kutahov, “News on NKorea’s [sic] Nuclear Weapons Research Not Confirmed Yet,” ITAR-TASS News Agency, 18 January 1998, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>; Kim Byŏng Ku et al., Pukhaekkisulch’ongsŏ-I (North Korean Nuclear Issues and the LWR Project), KAERI/AR-552-99, Technology Center for Nuclear Control, November 1999, <http://www.tcnc.kaeri.re.kr/>; Press Statement, Richard Boucher, Spokesman, “North Korean Nuclear Program,” U.S. Department of State, 16 October 2002, <http://www.state.gov/>; Joby Warrick, “U.S. Followed the Aluminum,” Washington Post, 18 October 2002, p. A1, <http://www.washingtonpost.com/>; David E. Sanger and James Dao, “U.S. Says Pakistan Gave Technology to North Korea,” New York Times, 18 October 2002, <http://www.nytimes.com/>.