North Korea has imported a United States-built Beechjet 400A, as reported by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA).
The Beechjet 400A is most likely manufacturer serial number RK-109, which was previously registered in China as B-3905.
The aircraft first appeared in satellite images published in July 2024 by the South Korea-based investigative website 38north.org, and later in video footage captured at Pyongyang airport. In both instances, it was parked on a remote apron typically used for aircraft serving Kim Jong Un's family, alongside a New Zealand-built PAC-750XL light turboprop. Three to four of these aircraft are also believed to have been illegally imported.
The 29.1-year-old jet was operated in the United States from 1996 to 2009, where it served as an air ambulance since 2008. It was then exported to China, where it continued operations for Asia Medical Aid Flight until 2020 before being added to the fleet of EoFaJet. Given the aircraft's role as an air ambulance, it likely retains the same function for the North Korean government.
The report follows the release of more recent satellite imagery showing progress on the conversion of one of three Il-76TDs of Air Koryo into an Il-76A-50 airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft, now featuring an installed radome on top of the fuselage.
