Kim vows 'most advanced' warships as North Korea builds third — SkimNews
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- Kim Jong Un toured the Nampho Shipyard on November 2 and urged faster, larger-scale warship production, citing the need to defend sovereignty amid a 'hostile' geopolitical environment
- North Korea is constructing its third Choe Hyon-class destroyer under a five-year plan to produce two surface warships annually, aiming to expand beyond its traditional coastal defense role
- Kim Jong Un claimed the new warship under construction has a combat system with 'operational capabilities that no other country in the world has,' surpassing last year's destroyer
- North Korea relaunched its second 5,000-ton destroyer in June 2025 after a failed initial launch in May, signaling ongoing technical challenges in its naval modernization
- Kim Jong Un stated the new warships are critical to deter threats and may be armed with nuclear weapons, including strategic cruise missiles and tactical nuclear arms
- KCNA reported Kim expressed 'great satisfaction' with the vessel's progress, emphasizing its 'significant military importance' as a concentrated platform of combat power
Why it matters: North Korea is shifting from coastal defense to blue-water naval power with advanced, nuclear-capable warships, directly challenging U.S. and South Korean maritime dominance. The accelerated shipbuilding timeline and claims of unprecedented combat systems raise regional tensions and suggest a strategic pivot now backed by tangible, if still developing, technical progress.
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