North Korea tears down South Korean churches, apartments at aborted nuclear site

North Korea is demolishing a sprawling housing compound built by South Korea at a nuclear power plant construction site, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, 20 years after the site was abandoned.

The demolition appears to be part of Pyongyang’s ongoing efforts to rid the country of ROK-built assets and reinforce a national anti-South Korea policy.

The housing compound, located in the Kumho district of South Hamgyong Province, was for foreign workers carrying out construction of  two light water reactors for North Korea under the multinational Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) project. 

KEDO was formed under the U.S.-DPRK 1994 Agreed Framework, through which Washington sought to halt Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons development in exchange for establishing the power plant. 

The U.S. withdrew from the deal in 2005 before the reactors were completed, and the last workers left on Jan. 8, 2006. 

South Korea, Japan and the European Union were also part of KEDO. The ROK’s Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) led construction of the power plant as well as the 156-acre (63-hectare) housing compound featuring apartments, shops, churches and other amenities.

Some facilities were removed by 2009 but most remained intact until the removals restarted in 2023. Buildings were still being dismantled this month, Planet Labs and Google Earth imagery shows. 

This image shows the KEDO housing compound in 2004, after construction of the power plant was suspended but before the foreign worker contingent left | Image: Google Earth (March 20, 2024), edited by NK Pro

After foreign workers left in 2006, North Korea appeared to take down a small number of structures by 2009 | Image: Google Earth (Oct. 20, 2009), edited by NK Pro

More small structures were removed in the late 2010s, but most buildings remained intact as of 2020 | Image: Planet Labs (May 29, 2020), edited by NK Pro

Major demolition began to take place across the compound in 2023 and 2024 | Image: Planet Labs (Dec. 4, 2024), edited by NK Pro

The latest high-resolution image taken in February shows most apartments and large buildings have been dismantled. Lower resolution imagery shows additional demolitions in recent months. | Image: Planet Labs (Feb. 13, 2026), edited by NK Pro

The work has been gradual as North Korean workers likely look to preserve and recycle South Korean materials, just like two other major projects to dismantle an ROK office tower in the Kaesong Industrial Complex and a family reunions hotel at Mount Kumgang.

A restaurant in the central area of the housing compound was first to be taken down in spring 2023 under the latest project, followed by a golf driving range, another dining hall from March to May 2024 and a large community center by the following November.

Catholic and Presbyterian churches for foreign workers, a hospital, gym and 15 multi-story apartment buildings were demolished in the first half of 2025. A warehouse, another community center and 12 more apartment buildings were torn down from November to January.

A large guest house was torn down in the last month, while the only structures that still appear standing are 17 apartment buildings in the southern half of the compound.

The unfinished power plant construction site located about three miles (5 km) to the north has remained largely unchanged since 2004, according to the latest satellite imagery.

This comparison shows that the abandoned light water reactor construction site has remained largely unchanged since 2004 | Image: Google Earth (March 20, 2004)

This comparison shows that the abandoned light water reactor construction site has remained largely unchanged since 2004 | Image: Google Earth (Dec. 14, 2022)

While North Korea’s recent efforts to erase other ROK-built projects in Kumgang and Kaesong have prompted active protests from the South Korean government over property rights, similar complaints have not emerged over the KEDO housing compound.

The compound was only meant to service long-term workers who were building the power plant that was slated for completion in 2009, after which the plant would be handed over to North Korea. If it was completed as intended at that time, it would have been up to North Korea to decide what to do with the apartments and South Korean amenities.

Edited by David Choi