Kim Jong Un unveils new 5,000-tonne warship ‘with nuclear-capable ballistic missiles' in chilling warning to West
TYRANT Kim Jong-un has unveiled
North Korea's largest naval destroyer that could house a vertical launchpad capable of firing nuclear missiles.
The mighty
is expected to substantially boost
North Korea
's naval capabilities
in a chilling warning to the West.
Advertisement
8
North Korea's state TV shows the launch ceremony of a newly-built destroyer at the Nampo port
Credit: AFP
8
Kim Jong Un and daughter Kim Ju Ae attending the launching ceremony of a newly-built destroyer
Credit: EPA
8
Kim Jong Un laying flowers at the memorial plaque of anti-Japanese revolutionary fighter Choe Hyon during the launch ceremony of a newly-built destroyer
Credit: AFP
8
The mighty 5,000-tonne warship is expected to substantially boost North Korea's naval capabilities
Credit: AFP
North Korea's state media - which also serves as Kim's leading propaganda machine - reported that the vessel was equipped with the "most powerful weapons".
The ship has been graded as the "Choe Hyon-class", named after anti-Japanese revolutionary fighter Choe Hyon, the report said.
And at over 5,000 tonnes, the destroyer is set to become the largest warship in North Korea's naval arsenal, surpassing the current largest vessel, a 1,360-tonne frigate.
It was previously reported that North Korea's new class of warship was able to accommodate dozens of vertical launch cells to carry missiles that its military has already developed.
Advertisement
read more in north korea
Military analysts say these launchers will be capable of firing guided cruise missiles, which North Korea says could carry nuclear warheads.
Footage from North Korea's state-run television KRT showed Kim arriving in Nampho with his daughter Ju Ae after travelling to the western port city by train.
Kim, in a speech from the launch reported by KCNA, said the warship would be handed over to the navy and go into service early next year.
In a chilling threat to the West, the tyrant said: "If the U.S. continues to renew its record in the protests of military power, we will have no choice but to renew it in the exercise of strategic deterrence."
Advertisement
Most read in The Sun
Kim also said strong pre-emptive attack capabilities were the most "convincing war deterrent" and that there was no limit to the scope of such attacks.
"The security environment of our country is very serious right now," the leader was quoted as saying by KCNA while vowing to build a fleet for open-sea operations.
My sister was snatched by China's secret cops & sent back to North Korea after 25 years – now she faces sickening death
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, also appeared in the TV footage.
Vice-Admiral Pak Kwang Sop said the launch, which took place on Friday at the military shipbuilding dockyard of Nampho, marked a new era of the "great Kim Jong Un-style fleet building".
Advertisement
It comes just weeks after
Pictures showed the weapon systems that would help the ship fire missiles at targets on both land and sea, according to analysts.
Kim's forces appear to be building the menacing ship despite heavy international sanctions against North Korea.
But the despot's relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin could be helping him get around the sanctions, analysts claim.
Advertisement
The two villainous dictators have been deepening military ties since Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
North Korea is widely reported to have supplied weapons to Russia since the invasion, as well as sending troops to fight in Kursk.
Other pictures of the ship were featured on the state-run Korean Central
Television
earlier this year, in which
.
It comes as part of a drive by North Korea to modernise its military, including building new tanks and submarines.
Advertisement
8
Bombshell new satellite images show a giant sea vessel under construction
Credit: Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies
8
The huge warship is believed to be the future crown in Kim Jong-un's menacing arsenal
Credit: Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies
8
Pictures released by the North Korean state media show the vessel under construction
Credit: KCTV
8
Kim Jong-un was seen at the shipbuilding facility inspecting the construction of the vessel
Credit: KCTV
Advertisement
A new nuclear-powered submarine unveiled last month has stoked fears that North Korea is advancing tech that could allow them to strike the US with ballistic missiles.
While North Korea is estimated to have around 400 patrol boats and 70 submarines according to a US Defense Intelligence Agency report, many of them are old and small.
Kim has also been pictured firing a 'new sniper rifle' during a visit to watch his special forces training at a military base.
North and South Korea are officially still at war with each other, even though fighting in the Korean War ended in 1953.
Advertisement
Kim's forces blew up roads connecting the two Korean nations late last year, a symbol of further worsening relations.
It comes as Kim also unveiled North Korea's
Pictures released by the state media - known to be Kim's propaganda machine - show the mighty submarine being built at a naval facility.
The tyrant was snapped with his goons at a shipbuilding facility inspecting the construction of the vessel.
Advertisement
Analysts say, based on the images of the unfinished vessel, that the naval vessel could be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles.
Kim's secret missile base disguised as golf course
By Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter
SCHEMING Kim Jong-un has constructed a new missile base disguised as a private golf course, satellite images reveal.
Top analysts told The Sun how the James Bond villain-esque golf course features sand traps, grass and putting greens - but they believe they are being used to conceal launch pads and missile caches.
The extent of the North Korean despot's nuclear and missile programme has long been shrouded in mystery - with stations scattered across the hermit kingdom.
Satellite images reveal Kim's latest base, however, as he continues to ramp up his weapon development.
The pictures reveal what appears to be a private golf course near a recently demolished Kim family mansion in the Ryokpho district of southern Pyongyang.
Analysts confirmed the base could be used to launch long-range missiles - though appears more operational at the moment.
READ MORE
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Residents say deployment of military to LA 'making things worse'
US President Donald Trump says he sent in the National Guard and marines to "liberate" Los Angeles from the violence of protesters, but some residents of Little Tokyo, a neighbourhood hit hardest by the unrest say it has made things worse. A dozen people who live, work or frequent the neighbourhood, where Japanese is heard spoken as frequently as English in shops and restaurants, said that Mr Trump's use of the military was inflaming the protests against recent immigration raids in Los Angeles. "The president sending in the National Guard and marines has only made things worse, it's made the protesters go crazy," said Sulieti Havili, who lives nearby and helps run a Pokemon club with over 6,000 members that routinely plays in Little Tokyo. "They are doing nothing to protect this community". Ms Havili, 25, who was out picking up rubbish in Little Tokyo with her Pokemon club partner Nolberto Aguilar, 42, said it was clear to her that Mr Trump sending in thousands of military personnel had "brought out the worst in the protesters" and only served to aggravate the situation. Mr Aguilar added that Mr Trump's deployment of troops was thwarting the will of most Los Angeles citizens and local leaders, fanning the flames created by ICE immigration raids, that he said targeted law-abiding immigrants. The Trump administration says its immigration raids are rounding up de facto criminals for lacking proper documents to stay in the United States. California Governor Gavin Newsom has said the use of military personnel to combat the protests had "inflamed a combustible situation" and warned that "democracy is under assault." Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that Mr Trump's use of troops was a deliberate effort to create "chaos". The Trump administration strongly rejects the accusations and says their actions were needed in the face of local and state leaders inability to get the situation under control. Little Tokyo, a charming neighbourhood with shops selling Japanese goods and restaurants serving up some of the city's finest sushi, abuts the federal buildings where protesters have gathered for five nights in a row. For the past two nights, when police and National Guard troops have forcibly dispersed protesters in the early evening, demonstrators scatter into smaller groups into Little Tokyo, which has been covered with anti-ICE and anti-Trump graffiti. Running skirmishes well into the night in the neighbourhood has seen police use booming flash-bangs and firing other "less lethal" munitions at protesters. Several of those interviewed in Little Tokyo asked that they not be named, saying they feared reprisals from the federal government. Many were immigrants themselves or had family members who were not born in the US, and feared making themselves or their loved ones targets of ICE. One of those was Anthony, who works at a tea shop in the area. "There is no question that the president sending in thousands of National Guard and 700 marines has done nothing but make the protesters more aggressive," he said. "It's instigating the protesters and making things worse," he said. Samantha Lopez, a descendent of Filipino immigrants who works at a Korean ice cream parlour in Little Tokyo, said she felt empathy for the demonstrators but rejected any acts of vandalism or violence they carry out. Still, she blamed the use of military personnel for creating the unrest. "It's just poor handling of protests that stay peaceful until they're confronted by officers," Ms Lopez said.
The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
At least 31 killed and 'about 200' wounded by Israeli fire at Gaza food distribution site
ISRAELI FORCES HAVE opened fire on people waiting to enter a food distribution centre run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, killing 31 and wounding 'about 200″, according to the local civil defence agency. 'We transported at least 31 martyrs and about 200 wounded as a result of Israeli tank and drone fire on thousands of citizens… on their way to receive food from the American aid centre,' civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. The Israeli army did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Restrictions imposed on media in the Gaza Strip and the difficulties of access on the ground mean AFP is not able to independently verify the death tolls announced by the civil defence agency. Bassal said thousands of Palestinians had been gathering since 2 am in the hope of reaching the food distribution centre. 'Israeli tanks fired several times, then at around 5:30 am, intensified their fire, coinciding with heavy fire from drones targeting civilians,' he said. There have been a series of deadly shootings by Israeli forces since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) first opened aid distribution points in the Palestinian territory on 27 May. Advertisement The introduction of this new US and Israeli-backed entity into the besieged Palestinian territory has been part of Israel's plan to circumvent UN agencies and NGOs that already work in Gaza and have done so for decades. Those UN agencies and officials repeatedly condemned the establishment of the organisation, warning that it would allow Israel to weaponise the provision of food. NGOs said it would only serve to allow Israel to carry out a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, and endorsed by Israeli government officials, which is to remove the Palestinian population from the area. Trump's proposal to 'clean out' Gaza has been widely condemned as a plan for ethnic cleansing. The man who was initially heading up the organisation, US military veteran Jake Wood, resigned the day before it began operating in Gaza, citing similar concerns to those expressed by the UN. Israel has said the GHF is a means of preventing food and other supplies from falling into the hands of Hamas. In mid-May, Tom Fletcher of the UN's humanitarian affairs office called the Israeli-US plan to take over aid distribution 'a cynical sideshow'. With reporting from AFP Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Brits among 9,000 migrants to be sent to Guantanamo in Trump plan to make notorious terror prison a vast detention site
BRITS are among the 9,000 migrants set to be sent to the infamous Guantanamo Bay in President Donald Trump's plan to make its notorious terror prison a detention site. The first transfers are set to begin within a matter of days as the 10 President Donald Trump plans to make Guantanamo's notorious terror prison a detention site Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 10 The first plane of detained migrants arriving at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay on February 4 Credit: AFP 10 Trump said he planned to detain 'criminal illegal aliens' at the notorious Guantanamo Bay military prison Credit: AFP 10 At the start of the year, the US President Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters at the time that 'the White House is currently working on [using] resources we currently have in Guantanamo Bay' to increase the number of beds for 'the worst of the worst.' 'We're already doing it,' Noem said. 'We're building it out.' The notorious Cuban camp was previously used as a military prison for those captured during George W Bush's "war on terror" after read more news This week alone, at least 9,000 people are being identified for a potential transfer to the prison as early as Wednesday, according to documents seen by Roughly a whopping 800 Europeans are on the list of potential Guantanamo detainees - including British and French citizens, the Currently roughly 500 migrants have been held at the jail dubbed "Gitmo" for short periods of time in the past few months. According to the Trump administration, it works as a pit stop on the way to being deported to the country those being held came from. Most read in The US Sun The bombshell move represents the administration's further Critics say the Guantanamo threat works to deter new illegal immigrants The Sun visits Guantanamo Bay One State Department official told Politico: "The message is to shock and horrify people, to upset people - but we're allies." But the deportation plans don't come without legal challenges. A court in Washington is considering a plea to outlaw the use of Guantanamo to house migrants as the American Civil Liberties Union claims they are being held in horrific conditions. Detainees are apparently kept in a rat-infested camp, served inadequate food and denied the weekly change of clothing. Detainees once endured sleep deprivation, waterboarding, and extreme temperature exposure as part of the CIA's 'enhanced interrogation' program. One of the most infamous detainees, Abu Zubaydah, was waterboarded 83 times and kept in a coffin-sized box for hours on end. While the camp once held nearly 800 suspected terrorists, that number has dwindled to just 15, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the The last remaining detainees exist in a legal limbo, held indefinitely as the US struggles to either prosecute, transfer, or release them. 10 U.S. Navy sailors and Coast Guardsmen erect expeditionary shelter tents Credit: via REUTERS 10 Trump's border czar Tom Homan said the administration would expand the capacity of the hellhole facility as the military planned to put up temporary tents Credit: Reuters 10 The first USmilitary aircraft to carry detained migrants to a detention facility at Guantanamo Bay Credit: Reuters The ACLU accused the Trump administration of using Guantanamo "to frighten immigrants, deter future migration, induce self-deportation, and coerce people in detention to give up claims against removal and accept deportation elsewhere". The US Justice Department vehemently denied the claim, telling the court that Guantanamo is solely used as a temporary stop. Nine Brit citizens were previously held in Guantanamo in 2004, of which five were repatriated. And nine more people who had residency status in the UK but not citizenship were also held at the camp. Trump's border czar Tom Homan previously said the administration would expand the capacity of the hellhole facility. He said: "We're just going to expand upon that existing migrant center." Meanwhile Noem shared images of migrants arriving at the Guantanamo facility. She wrote on social media: "President Donald Trump has been very clear: Guantanamo Bay will hold the worst of the worst. "That starts today." The prison has cost US taxpayers over $6 billion to operate, with an annual budget of $540 million — roughly $13 million per prisoner. A dedicated medical wing, staffed by doctors, psychiatrists, and even dentists, exists to prevent detainees from dying in custody, ensuring they remain locked away indefinitely. What is Guantanamo Bay? By GUANTANAMO Bay has long been synonymous with human rights abuses, indefinite detention, and controversial interrogation techniques. First opened in 2002 by George W. Bush There, suspects could be held without trial, subjected to brutal conditions, and interrogated using 'enhanced techniques'—a euphemism for torture. The prison complex, located on Cuban soil but under US control, Guard towers loom over the razor-wire fences, motion-activated searchlights sweep the perimeter, and cameras monitor every inch of the facility. Inside, detainees — most clad in orange jumpsuits — have spent decades in concrete cells measuring just 6.8 square feet, often with nothing but a thin mattress, a metal toilet, and a small slit for daylight. Prisoners have been force-fed through nasal tubes during hunger strikes, shackled in stress positions for hours, and subjected to psychological torment. Detainees once endured sleep deprivation, waterboarding, and extreme temperature exposure as part of the CIA's 'enhanced interrogation' program. Prisoners are separated into camps based on their perceived threat level. The most notorious detainees are housed in Camp 5 and Camp 7, which are maximum-security units where prisoners are kept in near-total isolation. Others are held in Camp 6, where detainees live communally but are still closely monitored. Camp X-Ray, the original makeshift site of the prison, was shuttered years ago, but its haunting images of hooded detainees kneeling behind barbed wire remain a symbol of Guantanamo's dark legacy. 10 US Marines heading to the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay Credit: Reuters 10 US Army soldier walking at unused common detainee space in 'Camp 6' detention facility at the US Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay Credit: AFP 10 Signs outside the fence of 'Camp 6' detention facility Credit: AFP
