Kim Jong Un Inspects New 5,000-Ton Destroyer, Vows To “Punish Enemy Provocations”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the country’s new 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon on October 5, 2025, and urged the navy to stay ready to “thoroughly deter and counter enemy provocations,” according to state media reports.

The visit was part of North Korea’s annual Defence Development Exhibition, which showcases the regime’s growing emphasis on military modernisation. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim was accompanied by senior officials from the ruling Workers’ Party and the government as he toured the vessel.

During his inspection, Kim said that the navy’s strength should be demonstrated across the open seas to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and security. He also reaffirmed the ruling party’s commitment to expanding the naval combat force without delay.

The Choe Hyon is North Korea’s first 5,000-ton multipurpose destroyer, unveiled in April this year as part of Pyongyang’s plan to enhance its maritime capabilities. State media previously said the ship is fitted with supersonic strategic cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles and other modern weaponry.

Satellite imagery analysed by South Korea-based SI Analytics in September indicated that engines had recently been installed on the Choe Hyon, suggesting that sea trials could take place as early as this month.

Video Credits: Reuters/YouTube

Photographs released by KCNA showed Kim inside the ship’s control room, observing monitors and pointing to maps while discussing operational plans with naval officers. The report described the destroyer as evidence of North Korea’s “remarkable development” in defence technology.

The Choe Hyon is one of two vessels of this class launched in 2025. A second destroyer, the Kang Kon, was launched in June after undergoing repairs from a failed launching attempt a month earlier that saw the ship partially capsize, an incident Kim had described at the time as a “criminal act”.

According to South Korea’s military, the new destroyer may have been developed with Russian assistance, possibly in exchange for North Korean manpower sent to support Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. Pyongyang has not commented on these claims.

Kim’s inspection came a day after he announced that North Korea would deploy “special assets to major targets” in reaction to what he called the United States’ arms build-up in South Korea.

The U.S. currently has about 28,500 troops in South Korea and recently held joint military drills with South Korea and Japan, which North Korea criticises as invasion preparations.

Meanwhile, South Korean shipbuilders, major players in global naval construction, are considering to expand into the U.S. defence market, possibly investing in American shipyards. This supports Washington’s goal to strengthen naval cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo amid rising tensions with China and North Korea.

Analysts say that North Korea’s recent shipbuilding activities, including plans to construct a third 5,000-ton destroyer by October 2026, show its aim to boost naval power beyond coastal defence. This would significantly change North Korea’s naval reach and deterrence strategy.

References: The Hindu, CNA

Source: Maritime Shipping News