North Korea Constructs “Underground Runway”

[imText1]North Korea has been building a 1,800 meter long and 30 meter wide underground runway in Wonsan.

The Voice of America (VOA) relayed on the 17th that a huge underground runway is being built near the Southwest region of Wonsan in Kangwon Province, which was verified by Google Earth.

According to the “Google Earth” image, the runway, which runs northeast to southwest, is paved in cement and runs through a mountain through a 30-meter wide entrance. The exhumed soil and rocks from the cavern are piled up indicating that the construction is continuing. Near the runway, over 20 buildings have also been stationed.

The VOA said through the statement of Park Myung Ho, a former North Korean Air Force Captain who fled to South Korea in May 2006, that it is highly feasible that this facility is the underground runway being constructed by the North Korean army.

Park, who worked for the North Korea Air Force for 20 years, said, “In the case of war, the North Korean fighter planes will take-off from base and will attack South Korean targets, after which the planes will not return to the original base but will move to another prepared location. The underground runway is such a facility.”

Further, he said, “In preparation for a war with South Korea, 2~3 underground runways were built. Similar runways are in Jangjin, South Hamkyung Province and in Onchun, South Pyongan Province.”

Underground runways are expressed as a “tunnel takeoff” in North Korea and have the purpose of preserving fighter planes and allowing them to invisibly take-off in a short time.

Such North Korean facility follows the military line of “National Territory Fortification,” which was selected at the 4th annual General Assembly of the Workers’ Party in December 1962. North Korea’s underground military facilities are located 80 meters underground and 1,800-some military equipments are supposed to be situated in the vicinity of the cease-fire line.