The leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, has unveiled a new 5,000-tonne multipurpose destroyer, signaling a significant advancement in the nation’s naval capabilities, state media KCNA reported on Saturday.
The launch ceremony, held on Friday at the military shipbuilding dockyard of Nampho, showcased the warship equipped with the “most powerful weapons” and constructed “within 400-odd days perfectly with our own strength and technology,” according to Jo Chun Ryong, a secretary in the Workers’ Party.
Vice-Admiral Pak Kwang Sop described the event as ushering in a new era of the “great Kim Jong Un-style fleet building.” The vessel, graded as the “Choe Hyon-class”—named after anti-Japanese revolutionary fighter Choe Hyon—is expected to be handed over to the navy and enter service early next year, Kim announced in his speech.
Emphasizing the serious security environment, Kim stated that strong pre-emptive attack capabilities are the most “convincing war deterrent” and highlighted that there is no limit to the scope of such attacks. He expressed gratitude to the workers and technicians who built the new destroyer, aligning with the party’s objective of strengthening naval forces.
Kim also noted that the United States is deploying strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula regularly. Earlier this month, the U.S. and the Republic of Korea conducted joint military drills involving the B-1B bomber and fighter jets, according to Seoul’s defense ministry.
