Recent satellite images revealed new evidence of unauthorized use of South Korean-owned facilities in the Kaesong Industrial Complex by North Korea. This includes the appearance of a large structure and the disappearance of buses from a depot.
According to Voice of America, satellite images from Planet Labs taken on November 18 revealed a rectangular white object in the central factory area of the complex.
The object, measuring approximately 30 meters (98 feet) by 15 meters, has reportedly been in the same location since November 5. A similar object was observed in a vacant area in the northern part of the complex on November 9.
While the exact nature of the objects remains unclear, VOA speculated that they could be piles of materials or makeshift buildings.
The satellite images also showed that the area west of a bus depot, previously occupied by parked buses, was cleared. VOA estimates that all buses previously stationed there have been removed.
South Korea had provided approximately 290 Hyundai Aero City buses for the commuting convenience of North Korean workers during the operational years of the complex. When operations ceased in 2016, around 260 buses were left in the depot, but their numbers have gradually decreased over the years. As of recent observations, only about 130 buses remain.
VOA analyzed these developments as an indication that North Korea may be actively reusing the Kaesong Industrial Complex, potentially in alignment with its policy aimed at building industrial factories across the country.
Bradley Babson, a former World Bank advisor and expert on North Korea’s economy, noted, “Since factories already exist in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, it might be more rational for North Korea to reuse and further develop these facilities rather than constructing new ones.”
The Kaesong Industrial Complex began operations in 2005 as a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation, employing up to 50,000 North Korean workers in over 120 South Korean companies.
However, in 2016, following North Korea’s nuclear tests and long-range missile launches, the South Korean government decided to shut down the complex. Since then, North Korea froze South Korean assets in the complex and, in 2020, destroyed the inter-Korean liaison office located within the site.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
