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April 25th Vinalon Factory

Last Modified: March 1, 2003
Other Name: 4월 25일 비날론공장; 4.25 Vinalon Factory
Location: Hamhŭng (함흥시), South Hamgyŏng Province (함경남도), North Korea
Subordinate To: 5th Machine Industry Bureau (제5기계산업총국); Second Economic Committee (제2경제위원회) for chemical weapons production; and probably the Ministry of Chemical Industry (화학공업성) and the Ministry of Light Industry (경공업성) for civilian production.
Size: Annual production capacity of 540,000 tons of fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides per year
Facility Status: Unknown

Production of civilian products including ammonia, as well as chlorine-based pesticides, probably DDT, chlordane, among others; possible production of CW agents including blister agents, choking agents, nerve agents, and riot-control agents.

Sources:
[1] Kim Wŏn Pong, director of the Northeast Asia Research Institute (北東亞問題硏究所) in Japan, alleges that this facility produces CW agents. However, there is no open source information to substantiate these claims.
[2] Kim Wŏn Pong, Kitachosenjimingun no zenbo (Tokyo: Ariadone Kikaku, 1996), p. 127;
[3] Kim Won-pong, Kitachosen jinmingun no zensho [sic] (Tokyo: Ariadone Kikaku, 1996), p. 127, in "DPRK Factories Suspected of Producing Chemical Agents," FBIS Document ID:KPP20010216000106;
[4] Osamu Eya, Kimu Jon Iru Daizukan (Tokyo: Shogakkan, 2000), pp. 64-65;
[5] Osamu Eya, Kimu Jon Iru Daizukan (Tokyo: Shogakkan, 2000), pp. 64-65, in "Alleged Locations of DPRK Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Warfare Facilities Mapped," 6 June 2001, FBIS Document ID: KPP20010606000075.

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This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, or agents. Copyright © 2011 by MIIS.

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