North Korea’s Kim oversees cruise missile tests from new naval destroyer | Kim Jong Un news

Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of sea-to-surface ‘strategic cruise missiles’ from the country’s new naval destroyer.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of “strategic cruise missiles” from a new 5,000-tonne naval destroyer ahead of the ship’s official commissioning, state media said.

Kim oversaw the launch of sea-to-surface missiles from the destroyer Cho Han on Wednesday, assessing the test as a “core” aspect of the new warship’s capabilities, which he described as a “new symbol of maritime defense” for his country.

Calling for the production of more warships of the same class or better, Kim said his navy was progressing with the deployment of nuclear weapons.

“Our naval forces will rapidly grow to attack from under water and from above. Arming the navy with nuclear weapons is making satisfactory progress,” Kim said at the Nampo shipyard in the west of the country, according to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“All these successes constitute a radical shift in protecting our maritime sovereignty, something we haven’t achieved in half a century,” he said.

South Korea’s official Yonhap news agency noted that North Korea uses references to “strategic” weapons to suggest it may have nuclear capabilities.

According to KCNA, during a two-day visit to the naval base on Tuesday and Wednesday, Kim inspected the Cho Han, the flagship of a new series of 5,000-ton “Cho Hyeon-class” destroyers currently under construction in North Korea.

‘Wage a more active and persistent struggle’

In May 2025, North Korea’s ambitious naval modernization program suffered a major setback when a second Cho Hyeon-class destroyer sank during a side-launch ceremony at Chongjin Shipyard, an event witnessed by the Korean leader.

Later, and in a rare admission of failure, a malfunction of the launch mechanism caused the stern of the 5,000-ton destroyer to slide prematurely into the water, KCNA reported. The crash crushed parts of the hull and the bow got stuck in the shipping line.

At the time, Kim characterized the launch failure as a “criminal act”, blaming the incident on “total carelessness” and “irresponsibility” among many state institutions.

This week’s missile tests come after North Korea’s leader pledged to raise living standards in late February when he opened a rare congress of the ruling Workers’ Party held every five years.

Kim told Congress that the ruling party “faces heavy and urgent historical tasks of economic construction and raising people’s living standards.”

“It requires us to wage a more active and continuous struggle without allowing a moment of stoppage or stagnation,” he said.

North Korea has prioritized the development of nuclear weapons and military force above all else, asserting that the military must be strong enough to resist pressure from the United States and its ally South Korea.

Since taking power in late 2011, Kim has made the military a top priority while also emphasizing economic consolidation to address the country’s chronic poverty.