Ch'ŏlsan Uranium Mine
| Other Name: | 철산광산 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Ch'ŏlsan-kun (철산군), North P'yŏng'an Province (평안북도), North Korea |
| Subordinate To: | Ministry of Extractive Industries (채취공업성), Cabinet (내각) |
| Size: | Unknown |
| Facility Status: | Unknown |
During the late 1940s and the 1950s, the Soviet Union mined monazite for its at the Ch'ŏlsan mine. In 1947, the Soviets were reported to be surveying North Korea's monazite mines, with the help of a "Dr. Chao Yang." In fact, nuclear related activity in North Korea may have begun at this and other mines. The structure, capacity, and current status of this facility are unknown. [Note: Dr. Chao Yang's nationality is not clear.]
Sources:
[1] Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "N Korea--Set To Join the 'Nuclear Club'?" Jane's Defence Weekly, Vol. 12, No. 12, 23 September 1989, p. 594.
[2] Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Exposing North Korea's Nuclear Infrastructure-Part One," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 February 1999, p. 38.
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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