North Korea unveils new destroyer, signals expansion of nuclear-backed naval power

North Korea has commissioned a new multi-purpose destroyer and declared that the nuclear arming of its navy is going according to plan, state-run media reported on Wednesday.

A commissioning ceremony for the destroyer Choe Hyon was held at Nampo Port on Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

The warship completed more than a year of operational testing before officially joining the Korean People’s Army Navy.

Choe Hyon is one of two 5,000-ton class warships launched last April.

Addressing the ceremony, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described the vessel as a major step in modernizing the country’s naval forces and strengthening maritime defense capabilities.

“The navy is confidently growing into a branch of the military equipped with strategic means, and its nuclear armament is proceeding precisely according to its own path,” said Kim, the agency reported.

Kim said the destroyer possessed advanced combat capabilities and marked the beginning of a new era for North Korea’s Navy, which he said had long lagged behind other branches of the armed forces.

He also announced plans to deploy another destroyer, the Kang Geon, and to launch a series of 10,000-ton-class strategic warships in the coming years.

The North Korean leader said the ruling Workers’ Party had approved the construction of new naval bases to accommodate larger warships and support an expanding fleet.