Kim Jong Un Orders Two More 5,000-Ton Destroyers as North Korea Advances Naval Nuclear Programme
Choe Hyon warship commissioned amid plans for larger destroyers and expanded nuclear deterrence
Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has directed the construction of two additional 5,000-ton destroyers over the next five years while declaring that the country's naval nuclearisation programme is progressing according to plan, according to state media.
Kim made the announcement during the commissioning ceremony of the Choe Hyon, North Korea's largest warship to date, at the western port of Nampo on Tuesday. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the destroyer completed military operational tests over the past 14 months before formally entering service.
The Choe Hyon is one of two 5,000-ton-class destroyers unveiled by North Korea in April as part of its efforts to modernise the Korean People's Navy and expand its maritime strike capabilities.
Speaking at the ceremony, Kim described the warship as a milestone in transforming North Korea's naval force into a strategic service capable of operating beyond coastal defence.
"Our navy's capabilities will become something incredible beyond imagination," Kim said, adding that the construction of modern naval bases had become an urgent national priority.
State media also reported that North Korea plans to commission a second 5,000-ton destroyer, Kang Kon, in the near future. The vessel had previously suffered damage after partially capsizing during its launch ceremony last year before undergoing repairs.
Beyond the current class of warships, Pyongyang has also announced plans to build an even larger 10,000-ton destroyer, signalling an ambitious expansion of its surface fleet.
Kim said the commissioning of the Choe Hyon demonstrates that North Korea's programme to equip its navy with nuclear weapons is advancing steadily.
"It has clearly become a thing of the past when our navy existed as a force for defending the sea off our land," Kim was quoted as saying. "It is rising into a full-fledged service equipped with strategic means as the programme of equipping the Navy with nuclear weapons is following its planned course."
According to KCNA, the Choe Hyon will primarily operate along North Korea's western coast and is equipped with advanced anti-aircraft and anti-ship weapon systems, along with nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles.
Separately, reports from AFP said Kim used a three-day meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea to reaffirm plans to accelerate the country's military modernisation programme.
During the meeting, Kim accused the United States and South Korea of expanding and modernising their military capabilities in the region, warning that such developments were increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
He reiterated that North Korea would continue strengthening what he described as a "powerful and absolutely reliable" nuclear deterrent to counter perceived external threats.
KCNA reported that party officials unanimously endorsed the continued expansion of North Korea's nuclear forces, describing it as the most effective response to an increasingly uncertain international security environment.
The latest announcements underscore Pyongyang's continued focus on expanding both its conventional naval capabilities and strategic nuclear forces amid persistent regional security tensions and ongoing military competition in Northeast Asia.
