Panghyon Airport
Panghyon Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Serves | Kusong, North Korea | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 293 ft / 89 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°55′38.90″N 125°12′28.40″E / 39.9274722°N 125.2078889°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  Panghyon  Panghyon  Panghyon .svg.png) Panghyon | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Panghyon Airport | |
| Hangul | 방현비행장 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 方峴飛行場 |
| RR | Banghyeon bihaengjang |
| MR | Panghyŏn pihaengjang |
Panghyon Airport (also written Banghyon airfield)[1] is an airport near Panghyŏn-dong in Kusong, Pyongan-bukto, North Korea.[1]
Facilities
The airfield has a single concrete runway 13/31, measuring 8500 x 180 feet (3277 x 55 m).[2] It has a full-length parallel taxiway and other taxiways leading to hangars. Earth revetments are located along the parallel taxiway. Some aeronautical charts show a second north–south runway;[3] however it may just be a taxiway.
Missile Base
In December 2016, U.S. analysts reported that a missile base had been constructed approximately 13 miles from the airport, and was possibly the site for Hwasong-10 missiles tests in October.[4] It is also the site of North Korea's first successful test-launch of the Hwasong-14, the country's first intercontinental ballistic missile, on July 4, 2017.[1]
From 2023 onwards, satellite imagery indicated that the airfield was the center of North Korea's development of a domestic unmanned surveillance vehicles, which was followed by the announcement of the Saebyeol-4 and Saebyeol-9 on 27 July 2023.[5] Continued R&D of the drones, followed by the development of loitering munition greatly expanded over the following years, indicated by explosion craters present on satellite imagery.[6]
References
- ^ a b c Choe, Sang-hun (July 4, 2017). "North Korea Claims Success in Long-Range Missile Test". The New York Times. USA. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
- ^ Landings database page Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine "Landings.Com", accessed 13 Aug 2010,
- ^ GlobalSecurity.org "Air Bases - Panghyon", accessed 13 Aug 2010,
- ^ Shim, Elizabeth (December 29, 2016). "Report: North Korea retains missile base in mountainous region". UPI. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016.
The missile base is a new discovery and is located about 13 miles from Panghyon Airport, which South Korea's military has said may have been the test site of an intermediate-range Musudan missile in October.
- ^ Zwirko, Colin (2023-06-14). "New North Korean military drone spotted on runway, largest seen to date". NK PRO. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ Zwirko, Colin (2025-09-09). "North Korea pushes drone development with secret tests, factory construction". NK PRO. Retrieved 2025-09-23.