North Korea conducted the inaugural test-firing of the weapons system belonging to its newly unveiled “Choe Hyon-class” warship, the state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday.
Cruise and anti-air missiles were launched, and artillery fire was executed as part of the test, which was witnessed by leader Kim Jong Un and high-ranking officials, according to the report.
Kim was quoted as stating that the time has arrived for North Korea’s navy to make the strategic decision to accelerate nuclear armament to safeguard maritime sovereignty and for the purposes of national defence.
Intelligence agencies from South Korea and the United States are closely monitoring North Korea’s shipbuilding activities, an official from Seoul’s defence ministry conveyed.
Further work may be necessary before the new naval destroyer can independently navigate the seas, noted 38 North, a think tank specializing in North Korea. The observation was based on a satellite image showing tug boats maneuvering the vessel back towards a floating drydock.
A view of a “new multipurpose destroyer,” as reported by state media KCNA, in Nampo, North Korea, in this handout picture released on April 26, 2025. — Reuters
“The employment of tugboats to position and reposition the ship could suggest the absence of a fully operational propulsion system,” the think tank elaborated.
North Korean state media on Saturday revealed the 5,000-tonne warship, asserting that it was equipped with the “most potent weaponry.”
During a speech delivered at the launch, as reported by KCNA, Kim announced that the warship would be transferred to the navy and commence service in early the following year.
The “Choe Hyon-class” ship was named in honour of the anti-Japanese revolutionary fighter Choe Hyon, KCNA detailed.
