North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw new missile launches from the choe hyon-class destroyer over the weekend, state media said Tuesday, in another display tied to the country’s expanding naval firepower. The tests took place Sunday as Kim pressed his message that the navy will play a larger role in North Korea’s nuclear-capable arsenal. the launches came from the Choe Hyon, a 5, 000-ton-class destroyer first unveiled in April 2025.
State media said the ship launched two strategic cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles over North Korea’s western seas, with the cruise missiles flying for more than two hours and the anti-ship missiles for more than 30 minutes before striking their targets. The choe hyon-class destroyer was presented as the platform for a test that Kim framed as part of a broader push to expand the country’s operational reach.
Kim Watches From the Warship as Tests Unfold
The missile launches were presented as another step in North Korea’s effort to sharpen what Kim described as nuclear attack and rapid-response capabilities. State media said he also reviewed plans for weapons systems on a third and fourth destroyer now under construction, signaling that the naval program is still being pushed forward.
Photos released by state media showed Kim and other senior officials watching from a pier as one projectile left the warship, trailing gray smoke. The images were part of a tightly managed public show of military progress around the choe hyon-class destroyer, which North Korean officials have cast as a major advance for the navy.
What North Korea Says About the Ship
North Korea has said the destroyer is designed to carry anti-air and anti-ship weapons along with nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. Kim has repeatedly hailed the ship as a major step toward widening the military’s preemptive strike capabilities.
South Korean officials and experts have said the vessel was likely built with Russian assistance amid deepening military ties, while some experts question whether it is ready for active service. That uncertainty remains part of the wider picture around the choe hyon-class destroyer, even as North Korea presents the ship as operationally significant.
Immediate Reactions and Broader Context
North Korean official paper Rodong Sinmun said Kim issued unspecified new tasks after the Sunday launches and emphasized the “limitless expansion” of the country’s nuclear forces. The Korean Central News Agency said the tests were observed by Kim and senior officials, and that the launches followed preset trajectories before hitting their targets.
The broader context is a steady run of weapons tests as North Korea seeks to expand its nuclear-capable forces aimed at rival South Korea amid worsening ties and a prolonged freeze in diplomacy. Last week, North Korea also carried out tests involving various new weapons systems, including ballistic missiles armed with cluster-bomb warheads.
What Comes Next
State media says a third destroyer is under construction at the Nampo shipyard on the western coast and is expected to be completed by the ruling Workers’ Party’s founding anniversary in October. For now, the latest launches keep attention fixed on the choe hyon-class destroyer and on whether North Korea will continue using the ship as a stage for showing off its growing missile capabilities.
