Tok-chon Artillery Plant - 39°45'N 126°18'E
A review of early 1983 imagery confirmed that North Korea's newest, indigenously designed self-propelled multiple rocket launcher (SP MRL) was under production at a plant in Sinhung and that the M-1981 self-propelled gun (SPG) was in at least the final stages of assembly at a plant in Tokchon.
The identification of one possible and two confirmed M-1981 SPGs at Tok-chon Artillery Plant PUG 18nm north of Tokchon, suggested that this weapon was in at least final stages of assembly there. This was the only plant where an M-1981 SPG - assessed as a 122mm field gun mounted on a modified ATS-59 chassis - had been confirmed. Solitary M-1981 SPGs had been seen there several times since at least July 1979; however, in the past, this plant had been assessed as producing or assembling towed field artillery, 122mm M-1974 SP howitzers, and 130mm M-1975 SP field guns. The 122mm gun for the M-1981 was probably produced at Tokchon, while the modified ATS-59 chassis was probably made at Kangso-Up Tractor and Construction Machinery Plant Kumsong, 10 nm southwest of Pyongyang.
The production of SP MRLs and M-1981 SPGs probably indicated that North Korea's priorities had shifted to include the mechanization of fire support for infantry divisions. Very little upgrading of infantry regimental artillery (107mm MRLs and 76mm divisional guns) or divisional field gun assets (100mm and 122mm D-74) had been confirmed. With the probability that series production of these two weapons systems was underway, the units most likely to begin receiving them are the divisions, where mechanization has been identified since 1981.
Tokchon is a city in the upper bank of the Daedong River in the northern part of Pyeongannam-do. In 1413 (Taejong 13), it was named Deokcheon-gun by combining Deokju-gun's'Deok' (Deokju-gun), which was originally the place name of the region, and'cheon' meaning village along the river. Deokju-gun is a place name derived from the meaning that it is located in the large Deokji (a flat area higher than the plain).
In 1985, a dam-type hydroelectric power plant was built in the upper reaches of the Daedong River in the northeastern part of the city, with a capacity of 200,000 kW. The industry has developed a mechanical industry that manufactures high-performance rock drills and other mining facilities, and there is Seungri Motor Complex, which has an important position in North Korea. In addition, there are general grocery factories, Deokcheon knitting fabric factories, and meat processing factories, and small-scale local factories that produce iron goods, paper, furniture, clothes, leather, and bricks are distributed. In particular, the Deokcheon Silk Fabric Factory produces excellent silk fabrics such as Hangra, Human Silk, and Artificial Industrial Complex, and'Deokcheon Hangra' has a long reputation.
As for the transportation network, there are railways such as Pyeongdeok Line (Pyongyang ~ Deokcheon) and Deokpal Line (Deokcheon ~ Gujang), and roads leading to Bukchang, Gujang, Maengsan, Yeongwon, and Gaecheon. Water transportation through Geumseong Reservoir is open to Maengsan-gun. Sinseong-ri has Shinseong mineral water, and Muchang-ri and Punggok-ri have high-quality sulfate minerals.
Agricultural land in this county occupies 16% of the city area. There are few rice fields and most of them are fields, and corn, beans, and potatoes are mainly cultivated, and tobacco and vegetables are grown. In the area where limestone is distributed, there are many mulberry trees and there are many jaw forests along the valley, so sericulture has developed, and there is a large-scale sleep farm in the center of the city.
The livestock industry has also developed on the basis of abundant feed resources, raising a lot of cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, and rabbits, while Lake Geumseong is cultivating freshwater fish including seven-colored trout.
The forestry industry produces logs for mining timber at the timber production plant, and based on abundant underground resources such as anthracite, there are large-scale coal mines such as Jinan, Deokseong and Seochang, and about 20 small and medium-sized coal mines, which are mining anthracite and bauxite.
Deokcheon-si belonged to Goguryeo during the Three Kingdoms period. Deokseongjin was installed in this area after Goryeo was founded, and later this place was called Liaowon-gun or a Jin in the long Deokji area, and it was also called Jangdeokjin. In December 1952, when the administrative districts were reorganized, Bukchang-gun was newly established by separating Jamsang-myeon and Jamdo-myeon, and the remaining administrative districts were reorganized into Deokcheon-myeon, Il-myeon, Pungdeok-myeon, and Seongyang-myeon.
This city is a basin that belongs to the eastern mountainous region of Nam Pyeongan Province, and consists mostly of low and mid-mountainous regions. The Myohyang Mountains in the northwest of the city, the Jangan Mountains in the south, Neultegisan (975m), Saedoksan (966m), Yongmunsan (1,180m) in the north, Wolbongsan (1,032m) in the west, Baek Tapsan (1,198m), Jangansan (1,250m) and Huseonyubong (1,104m) rise in the southern part.
In the center of the city, the Daedong River merges with 10 tributaries such as the Mantan River and the Siryang River and flows to the south, and in the east is the Geumseong Lake, built for hydroelectric power generation.
Bedrock is composed of limestone, goghite, slate and sandstone of the Paleozoic Hwangju and Pyeongan systems, and the soil is mainly brown forest soil. Mountain bleached brown forest soil is distributed in mountainous areas of 1,000m or more, and alluvial soil and paddy soil are distributed in the Deokcheon Basin and river and river basins.
The climate is the average annual temperature of 7.9?, the average temperature in January -11.4°, and the average temperature in August is 23°. The first frost falls on October 12th and the last frost is around April 29th. The annual average rainfall is 1,290mm Forests cover more than 75% of the city's area, and pine trees, Yongjae forests, oil tree forests, textile forests, and protected forests are formed. In addition, mountain fruits, wild vegetables, and medicinal herbs are distributed.
Wild animals such as bears, musk deer, otters, wild boars, frogs, and grandmothers live in the mountains, and wild animals such as sanchi, sancheoneo, eels, and sandy muds live in rivers and rivers. The Deokcheon Black Stork is designated as North Korea Natural Monument No. 54.
