Kim Jong Un unveils new DPRK destroyer to deter provocations
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Kim Jong Un inspects the DPRK’s new 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon, calling it key to deterring enemy provocations and strengthening naval defense.
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DPRK Leader Kim Jong Un visits Destroyer Choe Hyon according to the 2nd Day Schedule of his visit to Military Hardware Exhibition. (KCNA)
DPRK head of state Kim Jong Un has inspected a newly commissioned 5,000-ton naval destroyer, emphasizing its role in defending national sovereignty and deterring enemy provocations.
During his visit to the vessel Choe Hyon, Kim hailed the destroyer as a symbol of the DPRK navy’s growing strength and the country’s self-reliant defense capabilities.
“The tremendous ability of our navy should be exercised in the vast ocean to thoroughly deter or counter and punish the enemy’s provocations for the sovereignty of the state,” he said, according to state media.
The Choe Hyon is one of two new destroyers launched this year under the DPRK’s ongoing military modernization program. Photos published by state media showed Kim touring the ship’s control and operations rooms while discussing its advanced systems with senior naval commanders.
He announced plans to build a third destroyer of the same class by October next year, describing it as part of the country’s long-term maritime defense strategy.
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Kim said the destroyer represents “a clear demonstration of the steady, forward-looking development of the DPRK’s armed forces,” reaffirming Pyongyang’s focus on expanding naval capabilities amid continued regional tensions.
The inspection followed Kim’s announcement of deploying “special strategic assets” in response to the US military presence in South Korea and the ongoing buildup of US forces in the region.
Pyongyang has repeatedly condemned the presence of nearly 30,000 American troops in South Korea and the United States’ joint military drills with Seoul and Tokyo, calling them provocative and destabilizing.
The US has maintained its deployment on the peninsula since the 1953 armistice that ended active fighting in the Korean War. Washington argues the presence serves as a deterrence, while Pyongyang and many independent analysts see it as a factor sustaining a prolonged state of confrontation.
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