North Korea builds secret military base that poses nuclear threat to US

North Korea’s undeclared Sinpung-dong missile base, hidden 17 miles from China’s border, houses up to nine nuclear-capable ICBMs, per the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. “Missiles stationed there pose a nuclear threat to east Asia and the continental United States,” the report states. Operational since 2014, the base uses solid-fuel ICBMs, enabling rapid, concealed launches from mobile trucks, evading pre-emptive strikes.

Kim Jong-un’s recent pledge to expand North Korea’s nuclear program, which includes 50 warheads and material for 40 more, defies UN sanctions. The base’s location near China complicates US military options, risking Beijing’s involvement. Kim’s 11,000 troops sent to Ukraine raise fears of Russian aid in advancing North Korea’s missile technology.

The Sinpung-dong facility, part of 15-20 covert bases, was never disclosed in US-North Korea talks, which collapsed in 2019. Kim’s regime executed one negotiator and arrested another, per defectors. “North Korea must grow its nuclear arsenal,” Kim said, citing US-South Korea drills as a threat. International concerns grow over Pyongyang’s unchecked nuclear advancements and regional tensions.