Colin Zwirko
@colinzwirko.bsky.social
Analyst at NK News / NK Pro, investigations and analysis about North Korea and satellite imagery, state media, military, Kim family developments etc.
https://www.nknews.org/content_author/colin-zwirko
https://www.nknews.org/content_author/colin-zwirko
This building was just built in recent months, door covered up (pic 2 on left). Looks like a revolutionary history museum, maybe to replace existing one (pic 3)
KCTV/KCNA displaying sensitivity, deliberately omitted views of the museum and other interiors (maybe too much Ukraine war stuff to blur)
KCTV/KCNA displaying sensitivity, deliberately omitted views of the museum and other interiors (maybe too much Ukraine war stuff to blur)
November 5, 2025 at 7:48 AM
This building was just built in recent months, door covered up (pic 2 on left). Looks like a revolutionary history museum, maybe to replace existing one (pic 3)
KCTV/KCNA displaying sensitivity, deliberately omitted views of the museum and other interiors (maybe too much Ukraine war stuff to blur)
KCTV/KCNA displaying sensitivity, deliberately omitted views of the museum and other interiors (maybe too much Ukraine war stuff to blur)
The KPA 11th Corps Command HQ that KJU visited last weekend is located in Tokchon smack dab in the center of the country (39.77194° N, 126.32609° E). AKA Special Operations Forces, previously confirmed by its name Unit 630 in KJI visit report pics from Feb. 1, 2010 and Dec. 1, 2011
November 5, 2025 at 7:48 AM
The KPA 11th Corps Command HQ that KJU visited last weekend is located in Tokchon smack dab in the center of the country (39.77194° N, 126.32609° E). AKA Special Operations Forces, previously confirmed by its name Unit 630 in KJI visit report pics from Feb. 1, 2010 and Dec. 1, 2011
what's your favorite bowie song?
October 15, 2025 at 1:06 PM
what's your favorite bowie song?
North Korea held another weapons expo! Some new developments:
-Hwasong-11E (화성-11마) is a new SRBM with HGV?
-still showing large SLBM never tested. blue checkered UUV behind
-new unmanned surface vessel? likely to be in the oct10 parade
-green paint scheme drone on left
-Hwasong-11E (화성-11마) is a new SRBM with HGV?
-still showing large SLBM never tested. blue checkered UUV behind
-new unmanned surface vessel? likely to be in the oct10 parade
-green paint scheme drone on left
October 5, 2025 at 12:08 AM
North Korea held another weapons expo! Some new developments:
-Hwasong-11E (화성-11마) is a new SRBM with HGV?
-still showing large SLBM never tested. blue checkered UUV behind
-new unmanned surface vessel? likely to be in the oct10 parade
-green paint scheme drone on left
-Hwasong-11E (화성-11마) is a new SRBM with HGV?
-still showing large SLBM never tested. blue checkered UUV behind
-new unmanned surface vessel? likely to be in the oct10 parade
-green paint scheme drone on left
KJU at "training base No. 38" watching some sniper drills reportedly on Sept 12. I recognize that too-well-manicured hill. and those mountains. this is the 'Jindallae Guesthouse' missile test area where there's a ton of new construction going on, detailed here: www.nknews.org/pro/major-co...
September 12, 2025 at 11:39 PM
KJU at "training base No. 38" watching some sniper drills reportedly on Sept 12. I recognize that too-well-manicured hill. and those mountains. this is the 'Jindallae Guesthouse' missile test area where there's a ton of new construction going on, detailed here: www.nknews.org/pro/major-co...
First image today clearly showing full-scale military parade practice at North Korea's Mirim complex, though we've seen signs of this for months already. Looking like Oct. 10 for the parade. Read more here: www.nknews.org/pro/thousand...
September 9, 2025 at 12:35 PM
First image today clearly showing full-scale military parade practice at North Korea's Mirim complex, though we've seen signs of this for months already. Looking like Oct. 10 for the parade. Read more here: www.nknews.org/pro/thousand...
This is absolutely new, hanging a Kim Jong Un portrait at an event. He's gradually centering his own cult of personality, making Kim Il Sung/Kim Jong Il mere distant past figures. First paintings/murals of himself, then his portrait at only the party cadre school, then badges only for WPK CC members
August 30, 2025 at 3:01 AM
This is absolutely new, hanging a Kim Jong Un portrait at an event. He's gradually centering his own cult of personality, making Kim Il Sung/Kim Jong Il mere distant past figures. First paintings/murals of himself, then his portrait at only the party cadre school, then badges only for WPK CC members
Moving all families of dead soldiers into one place means 1) authorities will watch them and make sure they never publicly or privately complain about the war, and 2) that they will be surrounded by the tragedy, never able to move on from their loved ones dying in a secret war across the world
August 30, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Moving all families of dead soldiers into one place means 1) authorities will watch them and make sure they never publicly or privately complain about the war, and 2) that they will be surrounded by the tragedy, never able to move on from their loved ones dying in a secret war across the world
This part doesn't read well. I get he's saying 'I'm doing you a favor,' North Koreans do covet the benefits of the Hero of the Republic medal, but sounds more like 'nobody gave me permission but I'm taking your children, better thank me.' Makes it all about himself too
www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...
www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...
August 30, 2025 at 2:42 AM
This part doesn't read well. I get he's saying 'I'm doing you a favor,' North Koreans do covet the benefits of the Hero of the Republic medal, but sounds more like 'nobody gave me permission but I'm taking your children, better thank me.' Makes it all about himself too
www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...
www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...
North Korea showing off their prowess in making kitschy fake gold wall decorations (Aug 13). Many are saying Trump is getting his at Home Depot but we might also want to consider this avenue to DPRK-US detente
August 28, 2025 at 5:12 AM
North Korea showing off their prowess in making kitschy fake gold wall decorations (Aug 13). Many are saying Trump is getting his at Home Depot but we might also want to consider this avenue to DPRK-US detente
Not sure if I shared this photo before but can see it in the background to the left here (clip shown 2023 Feb. 9 on KCTV)
August 27, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Not sure if I shared this photo before but can see it in the background to the left here (clip shown 2023 Feb. 9 on KCTV)
The special forces drills Kim Jong Un reportedly oversaw Wednesday appear to have taken place at the KPA Unit 525 HQ south of Pyongyang. The report says the unit is directly under the KPA General Staff. They conducted the ROK Blue House raid drills in the past www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...
August 27, 2025 at 11:10 PM
The special forces drills Kim Jong Un reportedly oversaw Wednesday appear to have taken place at the KPA Unit 525 HQ south of Pyongyang. The report says the unit is directly under the KPA General Staff. They conducted the ROK Blue House raid drills in the past www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...
North Korea's big program Friday on the Russia war deployment revealed KJU initially decided to send troops to Kursk at a CMC meeting on Aug. 28 last year, just a couple weeks after Ukraine started the Kursk incursion. We hadn't seen this date before. Also very explicitly framed as fighting "the US"
August 26, 2025 at 6:04 AM
North Korea's big program Friday on the Russia war deployment revealed KJU initially decided to send troops to Kursk at a CMC meeting on Aug. 28 last year, just a couple weeks after Ukraine started the Kursk incursion. We hadn't seen this date before. Also very explicitly framed as fighting "the US"
MRW just watched my comrades shoot themselves in the head and self-detonate all over the battlefield in glorious suicides fighting Russia's war on Ukraine but made it home for the NK-pop hardened soldier battle dance concert
August 26, 2025 at 2:47 AM
MRW just watched my comrades shoot themselves in the head and self-detonate all over the battlefield in glorious suicides fighting Russia's war on Ukraine but made it home for the NK-pop hardened soldier battle dance concert
What they don't show you is KJU's waitresses constantly bringing in new kinds of drinks for him and changing out his ever-filling ashtray. One woman often seen doing this job is in pic 3. Then there are his white-gloved chair-bringers, another story.
August 21, 2025 at 5:25 AM
What they don't show you is KJU's waitresses constantly bringing in new kinds of drinks for him and changing out his ever-filling ashtray. One woman often seen doing this job is in pic 3. Then there are his white-gloved chair-bringers, another story.
You know KJU is in a good mood when he distributes his exclusive Sonamu cigarettes and ashtrays to the room
www.nknews.org/2025/08/nort...
www.nknews.org/2025/08/nort...
August 21, 2025 at 1:58 AM
You know KJU is in a good mood when he distributes his exclusive Sonamu cigarettes and ashtrays to the room
www.nknews.org/2025/08/nort...
www.nknews.org/2025/08/nort...
North Korean education warns to be careful around men wearing large crosses (Russian rock musician Shaman did a concert for KJU on Friday)
August 17, 2025 at 11:54 PM
North Korean education warns to be careful around men wearing large crosses (Russian rock musician Shaman did a concert for KJU on Friday)
KJU got his own separate podium with aircon for his speech on Thursday
August 15, 2025 at 8:09 AM
KJU got his own separate podium with aircon for his speech on Thursday
Official KCNA English this morning
August 15, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Official KCNA English this morning
Only P-912 was clearly visible in the pics, and we finally got a HD version of the 2024 year in review KJU documentary recently so found it there, P-914
July 29, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Only P-912 was clearly visible in the pics, and we finally got a HD version of the 2024 year in review KJU documentary recently so found it there, P-914
Found that the Il-76 North Korea turned into this early warning aircraft (which isn't being used still it seems) is the one with tail number P-913, since their other two (P-912, P-914) were used during March 2024 paratrooper drills. reaired HD KCTV footage confirms this, wasn't visible at the time
July 29, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Found that the Il-76 North Korea turned into this early warning aircraft (which isn't being used still it seems) is the one with tail number P-913, since their other two (P-912, P-914) were used during March 2024 paratrooper drills. reaired HD KCTV footage confirms this, wasn't visible at the time
Been sitting on this for a while due to low photo res, but maybe evidence pushing back timeline of North Korean-Russia weapons cooperation:
-Feb 2022 Russia invades Ukraine
-**June 2022** CMC meeting, books featuring likely Putin, KJU, weapons
-Sep 2022 US intel reportedly says Russia buying NK arms
-Feb 2022 Russia invades Ukraine
-**June 2022** CMC meeting, books featuring likely Putin, KJU, weapons
-Sep 2022 US intel reportedly says Russia buying NK arms
July 17, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Been sitting on this for a while due to low photo res, but maybe evidence pushing back timeline of North Korean-Russia weapons cooperation:
-Feb 2022 Russia invades Ukraine
-**June 2022** CMC meeting, books featuring likely Putin, KJU, weapons
-Sep 2022 US intel reportedly says Russia buying NK arms
-Feb 2022 Russia invades Ukraine
-**June 2022** CMC meeting, books featuring likely Putin, KJU, weapons
-Sep 2022 US intel reportedly says Russia buying NK arms
Of course there are around 60 photos in Thursday's report
The 2-day delay in reporting could've been because it ran late Tues, KJU not around to approve Weds morning. Or maybe since heavy rains hit Weds, they wanted to make sure it wasn't being ravaged simultaneous to the report coming out
The 2-day delay in reporting could've been because it ran late Tues, KJU not around to approve Weds morning. Or maybe since heavy rains hit Weds, they wanted to make sure it wasn't being ravaged simultaneous to the report coming out
June 26, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Of course there are around 60 photos in Thursday's report
The 2-day delay in reporting could've been because it ran late Tues, KJU not around to approve Weds morning. Or maybe since heavy rains hit Weds, they wanted to make sure it wasn't being ravaged simultaneous to the report coming out
The 2-day delay in reporting could've been because it ran late Tues, KJU not around to approve Weds morning. Or maybe since heavy rains hit Weds, they wanted to make sure it wasn't being ravaged simultaneous to the report coming out
North Korea's gigantic Wonsan Kalma beach resort is scheduled to finally open this month. Seems the red carpet is out at the Kalmaegi Hotel this morning (Planet Labs pic1, pic2 was June 19), might mean a ceremony today or soon. Pics 3+4 show the location above the driveway, prob the banquet spot
June 22, 2025 at 6:11 AM
North Korea's gigantic Wonsan Kalma beach resort is scheduled to finally open this month. Seems the red carpet is out at the Kalmaegi Hotel this morning (Planet Labs pic1, pic2 was June 19), might mean a ceremony today or soon. Pics 3+4 show the location above the driveway, prob the banquet spot
One day you're switching hats with the leader and the next you have no hats at all
June 13, 2025 at 8:42 AM
One day you're switching hats with the leader and the next you have no hats at all