Location: Ch’ŏn’gye-ri (天溪里), T’aech’ŏn-kun (泰川郡), North P’yŏng’an Province (平安北道), North Korea

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

Description: In October 1998, during testimony by the South Korean Ministry of Unification, National Assemblyman Kim Tŏk Ryong of the opposition Grand National Party claimed that North Korea was building an underground nuclear facility in T’aech’ŏn-kun, North P’yŏng’an Province. Kang In Tŏk, former Unification Minister, however, has said that the exact function of the facility had not yet been confirmed, despite extensive efforts by the United States and South Korea. According to Kim Tŏk Ryong, the facility’s entrance is located between Tongsan-ri (東山里) and Kiryŏng-ri (氣龍里) in Kusŏng (龜城市), North P’yŏn’an Province, and there are three facilities dispersed about three kilometers apart in this area. Kim suggested that North Korea was reprocessing plutonium at this site, but this appears unlikely since North Koreas nuclear reactors have been shutdown. The site has 3,000 volt electrical power lines around the facility and a large number of military troops. Pak Sang Pong, director of the No. One Department under the Korean Workers Party has reportedly been in charge of operating this facility.

In November 1998, National Assemblyman Kim Tŏk Ryong claimed that both the United States and South Korea had analyzed soil and water samples from this area, and the conclusion was that the samples contained a concentration of uranium that was “tens of times that found in nature.” Kim also said that the South Korean government had concluded there was a high probability that North Korea had completed the construction of this site. In October 2002, North Korea admitted that it possesses a program to enrich uranium, and the T’aech’ŏn underground facility is a possible site for this program. There are also reports that this facility could be a high explosives test site.

	Updated April 2003

Key Sources:
Agence France Presse, North Korea Builds Two More Nuclear Sites: SKorean [sic] Opposition, 23 October 1998, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>; Kim Sang Hyŏp, “Puk T’aech’ŏn Chihashisŏlsŏ Plutonium Kŏmch’ul Kŭmch’ang’ŭn Ajik Kongsajung,” Munhwa Ilbo, 20 November 1998, p. 1, in KINDS, <http://www.kinds.or.kr/>; “Kim Tŏk Ryong ‘Pukhaekshisŏl 2 Kot Tŏ’itta’,” Chosun Ilbo, 23 October 1998, <http://www.chosun.com/>; Kim Sang Hyŏp, “Puk In’gongsŏm’e Chihahaek Shisŏl Plutonium Imi Saengan To’rip,” Munhwa Ilbo, 23 October 1998, p. 1, in KINDS, <http://www.kinds.or.kr/>; Yŏ Hyŏn Ho, Kim Chae Sŏp and Lee Che Hun, “Hyundaebuk Imyŏn’gyeyak,” Hankryoreh Shinmun, 24 October 1998, p. 1, in KINDS, <http://www.kinds.or.kr/>; Kim Yŏng Shik, “Hyundae ‘Taebuk 9ŏkpul Chegong’ P’amun,” Segye Ilbo, 24 October 1998, p. 3, in KINDS, <http://www.kinds.or.kr/>; Chŏn Hyŏn, “Puk.Nodong 1 Ho Shilchŏnbaech’i Kunsa’nosŏn Kanghwa,” Segye Ilbo, 1 January 1999, p. 2, in KINDS, <http://www.kinds.or.kr/ >; 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/>; David E. Sanger, “North Korea Says It Has a Program on Nuclear Arms,” New York Times, p. A1, 17 October 2002, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/>; Oh Young-hwan, “North Continued Nuclear-Arms Project,” Joongang Ilbo, 18 October 2002, <http://english.joins.com/>.