Kim Jong Un commissions North Korea’s nuclear-capable destroyer after launch mishap

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inaugurated the nuclear-capable destroyer Choe Hyon at a ceremony in Nampo, putting a 5,000-ton multirole warship into service. The ship had undergone a series of operational tests over the past 14 months and is equipped with air-defense systems, anti-submarine weapons, and, most importantly, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles with nuclear capability.

Kim said the navy’s nuclear armament program was proceeding as planned and that the service’s capabilities would now be “something amazing beyond all imagination.” He set an ambitious goal of building two giant warships a year over the next five years, and also announced plans for strategic destroyers weighing 10,000 tons.

The upgrade comes after an embarrassing setback in the same class of ships. The second vessel, Kang Kon, required extensive repairs after partially capsizing during its launch ceremony last year.

Analysts say Pyongyang’s rapid maritime advances have been enabled largely by Russian assistance, part of closer military ties between the two countries. For Kim, strengthening the navy is a “urgent and vital” task aimed at turning what was once the weakest branch of his military into a global deterrent force capable of preemptive strikes and extending North Korea’s operational reach deep into the sea.