Kyongsong-Chuul Airport

The closure was primarily due to military obsolescence and strategic consolidation. The base was home to a regiment of Harbin H-5 (a Chinese copy of the Soviet Ilyushin Il-28) bombers. As the Korean People's Army Air Force (KPAF) retired this aging and obsolete aircraft fleet in the 2000s, the base became redundant. Economic factors, including the high cost of maintaining the aging fleet and the large airfield, contributed to the decision to close it and reallocate the land for economic purposes.

The site is no longer recognizable as an airport. The land has been completely repurposed for economic and energy use. Recent satellite imagery shows that the entire length of the main runway and adjacent taxiways have been covered by a large-scale solar panel farm. The surrounding areas, including former aircraft revetments, have been converted into agricultural plots. Some of the original hangars and support buildings appear to be in use for industrial or agricultural storage, possibly related to the nearby Raksan Fishery Station.

Kyongsong-Chuul, also known as Ju-ul Airfield, was a significant KPAF forward operating base on North Korea's northeast coast. It was the primary base for the 8th Air Division and housed a bomber regiment equipped with Harbin H-5 aircraft. The base played a crucial role in North Korea's military posture, providing a strategic capability for maritime strike missions in the Sea of Japan and potential ground-attack operations. Its hardened aircraft shelters (revetments) and extensive support infrastructure indicate its importance during the Cold War era.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Kyongsong-Chuul as an airport. The construction of permanent infrastructure, most notably the large solar farm directly on the former runway, makes its reactivation as an aviation facility functionally impossible without complete demolition and reconstruction. The North Korean government has clearly reallocated this asset from military to economic use.