A massive underground weapons factory believed to be the largest in North Korea’s military nexus has been captured in satellite images analyzed by an open-source researcher. The secret Kanggye General tractor factory is believed to employ up to 20,000 people in what is widely seen as the engine room of the rogue state’s defense infrastructure. Beneath an irregular arrangement above ground, the factory, also known as Factory No. 26, has vast underground sections accessed by numerous tunnels on a hillside over a 1.2 kilometer stretch. American researcher Jacob Bogle found evidence hinting at the scale of the subterranean levels, including ventilation shafts protruding from the ground. Based on his analysis, the nondescript factory could theoretically be 176,000 square meters in size, roughly equivalent to 25 football fields. In a setting reminiscent of a Bond villain’s lair, workers toil on several subterranean levels and along kilometers of tunnels making a vast array of weapons. Ammunition, including anti-tank artillery and small arms ammunition, is among the material produced at the main factory. Located in the north of the country in Chagang province, the weapons manufacturing base is also believed to be involved in manufacturing processes that would be of interest to Western intelligence services. Precision-engineered components for short-range ballistic missiles are believed to be manufactured in Kanggye before being shipped to other facilities for final assembly. Fuses, metal casings and other components for chemical weapons have also rolled off the production line, according to unsubstantiated reports. In the 1960s, Kanggye was a production site for centrifuges used in uranium enrichment during the early days of North Korea’s nuclear program, according to rumors. Satellite images showing the layout of the weapons factory (Image: Jacob Bogle/@jacobbogle/Google Earth) “The average person looking at the factory would probably have no idea how big or important it is,” Mr Bogle told Metro.co.uk. “Outside, in front of the hill that houses the underground section, there are about 50 hectares of administrative buildings, warehouses and even a small field for the employees to play football. “The factory is kind of unkempt. But then all you have to do is look up the hill and you can see small buildings extending straight into the rock and at least nine entrance tunnels. “Actually, it’s a bit hard to count exactly how many tunnels there are.” The researcher, who is based in Tampa, Florida, collected and analyzed images of underground factories around North Korea, most of which have up to three access tunnels. To view this video, please enable JavaScript and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kanggye’s well-developed layout and production structure includes at least nine, indicating that his staff can handle multiple lines of weapons and equipment simultaneously. Workers are said to undergo thorough body searches as they enter their underground workplace, with guards on the lookout for lighters, matches or anything that could start a fire. Images released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the state news agency, show workers in a swimming pool and performing a dance performance in a sports hall during a visit by supreme leader Kim Jong Un. In 2010, a defector who worked for North Korea’s munitions industry told the South’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper that the site was the regime’s “main arms production base.” Nine years later, Kim said he wanted to put the factory “at an advanced level of the world” and was seen touring the facility in photos released by KCNA. Kim Jong Un talks with officials as he visits the Kanggye Underground Tractor Factory (Image: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA) The supreme leader looks on as workers swim in a pool in photos released after his tour of the factory (Image: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA ) “So to continue with the Bond villain simile, you have this somewhat normal-looking factory, surrounded by the mountains of the area,” Mr Bogle said. “But then you look closer and there’s this hidden network of tunnels that all produce weapons for one of the biggest armies in the world and it’s headed by a guy who murdered his brother and uncle.” One thing the sprawling plant doesn’t produce is tractors. Computer Numerical Control machines, used to automate factory processes, enable the production of complex, high precision utensils and make it one of the most advanced facilities in the country. Underscoring its importance, the factory has hosted visits from Kim, including one in 2019 where he spoke of his appreciation for workers and was photographed by machines. The leader’s two predecessors have also visited. The plant has its roots in a site that was established just after the end of the Korean War in 1953 as a small arms factory that was split into three, with each part being moved to different parts of the country, according to the blogger. The label “tractor” comes from the Soviet nomenclature that usually denotes a military plant. Kim Jong Un told workers at the long-standing weapons factory to upgrade it to an “advanced level” (Image: KCNA) The supreme leader has a great view of a dance performance during a tour of the weapons manufacturing base (Image: KCNA) Working in a large arms factory for a country that is seen around the world as a rogue state carries obvious risks. In November 1991, a large explosion attributed to mishandling of incendiary material was widely reported to have killed at least 1,000 people. The death toll could be as high as 6,000, including pregnant women, according to some locals quoted in a report by Daily NK, an online newspaper based in South Korea. An area of nearly a kilometer was destroyed, damaging every above-ground building and blowing out windows over a much greater radius. Kim Jong Un speaks in front of a model showing a construction plan for the cities of Kanggye and Manpo in Chagang Province (Image: KCNA) Unsurprisingly, no official admission of destruction has ever been made by the regime, although satellite images from the time, of much lower resolution than today’s mapping, and testimonies from defectors suggest that a significant incident occurred. Further open-source research shows that it took up to four years to clear and redevelop the site, with no new residential buildings facing the factory, although residential settlements are located just inland. Mr Bogle said: “We know that North Korea is one of the worst offenders when it comes to unsafe working conditions and has the highest incidence of work-related deaths in the world according to a study published in 2021 by the World Health and International Labor Organization. Open source research shows there was a major disaster in 1991 (Image: Jacob Bogle/Google Earth) In fact, the fatality rate actually increased between 2000 and 2016. However, like everywhere else, some industries are safer than others. “In Kanggye, there are recreational facilities such as a stadium and a swimming pool, there is a medical clinic and there are other amenities for workers and their families. “Work at the plant is likely to be difficult and there will be no public discussion of injuries or safety failures, but there is no reason to believe that workers are any less safe than other North Korean weapons factories.” Kim may well tap into the damaged plant’s resources amid fears his regime is about to conduct its first nuclear test in five years. A demonstration of the state’s capabilities could happen “at any time,” according to US and South Korean officials. Tensions showed no sign of easing last week as the North accused the US, South Korea and Japan of carrying out what it described as “aggressive moves”. The war message came on June 25 as Pyongyang marked the 72nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. 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