North Korean leader Kim Jong Un spent two consecutive days inspecting his country’s newest destroyer and observed cruise missiles test-fired from the warship, vowing to accelerate the nuclear arming of his navy, state media said Thursday. Kim’s visits to the western shipyard at Nampo on Tuesday and Wednesday also included an inspection of a third destroyer under construction of the same class, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
The inspections signal North Korea’s push to extend nuclear-strike capabilities to its naval forces and expand its operational reach beyond land-based systems, as inter-Korean tensions over disputed sea boundaries continue to deepen.
The Choe Hyon inspections
The warship, named Choe Hyon, is a 5,000-ton destroyer first unveiled in April 2025. After observing sea trials on Tuesday, Kim declared the ship met operational requirements and called it a symbol of the country’s expanding naval capabilities.
He returned Wednesday to watch a test launch of cruise missiles from the vessel. KCNA published photographs of Kim watching from shore as projectiles rose from the ship in plumes of white smoke, describing the weapons as “strategic” — a term North Korea uses for nuclear-capable systems.
The ship is designed to handle various weapons systems, including antiair and anti-naval weapons as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, according to state media. South Korean military officials and experts said the Choe Hyon was likely built with Russian assistance amid deepening military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, though some have raised doubts about whether it is ready for active service.
A troubled sister ship and expanded production targets
North Korea unveiled a second destroyer of the same class in May 2025, but it was damaged during a botched launching ceremony at the northeastern port of Chongjin, drawing a furious reaction from Kim, who called the failure “criminal.” North Korea said the ship, named Kang Kon, was relaunched in June after repairs, though outside experts have questioned whether it is fully operational.
During his Tuesday visit, Kim called for building two warships a year over the next five years of the same or higher class as the Choe Hyon. The third destroyer under construction at Nampo is expected to be completed by the Workers’ Party founding anniversary in October, KCNA said.
Nuclear navy and maritime sovereignty claims
Kim claimed on Tuesday that his efforts to arm his navy with nuclear weapons were “making satisfactory” progress, saying the advances would “constitute a radical change in defending our maritime sovereignty, something that we have not achieved for half a century.”
Beyond surface warships, North Korea is also building a nuclear-powered submarine, according to state media. At last month’s Workers’ Party congress, Kim outlined five-year military goals that included intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of being launched from underwater.
Some analysts say North Korea may be preparing to formally declare a maritime boundary that could encroach on waters controlled by South Korea. Kim has repeatedly said he does not recognize the Northern Limit Line, the sea boundary drawn by the U.S.-led U.N. Command at the end of the 1950–53 Korean War. That boundary has been the site of several deadly naval clashes in past years.
Opening toward Trump administration
At the Workers’ Party congress, Kim doubled down on plans to expand North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, which already includes weapons systems capable of threatening the United States and U.S. allies in Asia. He nonetheless left the door open for dialogue with the Trump administration, reiterating Pyongyang’s demand that Washington drop its insistence on denuclearization as a precondition for resuming long-stalled talks.