A number of military facilities are known or believed to be located in Kilju. These include the Hwadae-ri atomic weapons training facility. This was first built with Soviet assistance in 1958, and rose to international prominence when the 2006 North Korean nuclear test, 2009 North Korean nuclear test, 2013 North Korean nuclear test, and 2017 North Korean nuclear test were reported to have been held at Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site in the area of Mantapsan mountain, in the northernmost part of the county. The Musudan-ri missile facility is located in nearby Hwadae county, and a separate Scud facility has been reported in the area.