Latest news with #ChoeHyon-class
United News of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
DPRK announces work on its third destroyer as part of naval upgrade
Pyongyang, July 22 (UNI) The Democratic Republic of North Korea has officially begun working on the development of its third Choe Hyon-class destroyer as per state media, with supreme leader Kim Jong Un claiming that the vehicle will be complete by October 10, 2026, marking the next year anniversary of the Workers Party of Korea. Laying strong emphasis on boosting North Korea's military capabilities, the General Secretary of the WPK has been focusing strengthening the country's naval capabilities, overseeing the April launch of the Choe Hyon, North Korea's first 5,000-ton destroyer. A second destroyer, the Kang Kon, suffered a failed launch in May but was repaired and set afloat in June. The North will now construct the "Choe Hyon-class Destroyer No. 3" which it described as "a powerful warship of our own type". The Nampho dockyard manager urged workers to meet the construction deadline to uphold the party's "plan for building a powerful army" and "to firmly defend the inviolable maritime sovereignty and national interests," KCNA said. Kim reportedly 'visited the Nampho Shipyard 10 times in a little more than a year and gave precious instructions on the building of the warship and inexhaustible wisdom and strength for working miracles,' according to a NK News report. The report included several more references to factory manager Yun Chi Gol and workers worshipping Kim for his 'miracle' work — they are only capable of building ships 'when they do as instructed by Kim Jong Un' — and pledging loyalty to him. DPRK state media KCNA also showed photos of workers arranging and working on presumed metal ship components on an outdoor grid lattice staging area adjacent to a large indoor construction hall where the first Choe Hyon-class destroyer was built. During the June launch of the second destroyer, Kim reiterated the DPRK's intent on modernising its navy, and said that it 'will continue to build two destroyers every year of the same or higher class and commission them into the Navy.' He also said the new warships will sail to 'major ports and waters of enemy nations,' even 'across the Pacific,' so the U.S. and South Korea can 'experience how irritating and unpleasant it is to sit and watch enemy nation vessels roam the periphery of sovereign waters.' The Choe Hyon-class destroyers are 'equipped not only with anti-air, anti-ship, anti-submarine and anti-ballistic missile capabilities but also with weapon systems for the most effective ground striking operations, like hypersonic strategic cruise missile, tactical ballistic missile' and others, according to Kim.
Korea Herald
7 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
N. Korea eyes third large warship in growing naval buildup: report
North Korea has pledged to build a third 5,000-ton-class destroyer by next year as part of its continued push to improve its naval capabilities, state media reported Tuesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, workers at the Nampo Shipyard — one of the country's key naval production hubs — held a rally Monday, vowing to complete the new warship by Oct. 10, 2026, the founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. Yun Chi-gol, director of the shipyard, was quoted as saying the project would again demonstrate the 'creative strength and unyielding spirit' of workers supporting the leadership's vision for a powerful military. The event was attended by Workers' Party Secretary Cho Chun-ryong, along with technicians and laborers in the shipbuilding sector. The announcement comes as North Korea, having steadily advanced its nuclear and missile programs, is now working to project those capabilities at sea by developing platforms capable of launching nuclear weapons from maritime assets. This year, North Korea has unveiled two destroyers of the same class. In April, the regime revealed its first 5,000-ton-class destroyer, Choe Hyon-ho. A second vessel was scheduled to be launched on May 21, but it ran aground during the ceremony. After repairs, it was relaunched on June 12 under the new name Kang Gun-ho. At the Kang Gun-ho launching ceremony, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced plans to deploy two Choe Hyon-class destroyers or larger annually starting next year, signaling a long-term naval buildup. In response to North Korean state media report, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday, "Our military is closely tracking and monitoring North Korea's weapons development activities," while refraining from giving further details.
Mint
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
North Korea Restores Damaged Warship, Plans Two More Next Year
North Korea said it successfully refloated a 5,000-ton destroyer that suffered damage in a botched launch attempt last month that left it foundering in shallow water, with leader Kim Jong Un vowing to build two more vessels of the same class next year as part of his efforts to boost the country's naval capabilities. A second launch ceremony for the Choe Hyon-class destroyer Kang Kon took place at the northeastern port of Rajin on Thursday, state media Korean Central News Agency said, less than a month after reporting a 'serious accident' during the first attempted launch of the ship in May. 'Despite the difficulties and obstacles, our massive shipbuilding plans aimed at building advanced naval power are being pushed forward at the fastest pace possible,' Kim said in a speech at the ceremony. The warship will be delivered to the navy for operations by mid-2026, and the ruling party has approved a plan to build two more 5,000-ton class destroyers next year, Kim said. 'Soon enough the enemies will learn themselves how provocative and unpleasant it is to see enemy ships running through the periphery of their sovereign waters,' Kim said. The North Korean leader slammed the approach of US strategic assets into the region as raising the risk of a nuclear war and said his forces will take 'overwhelming military action' against any aggressive move. The remarks were made just as the White House said President Donald Trump is open to communications with Kim. South Korea said it's closely communicating with the US on their North Korea policy. Analysts said the relatively fast restoration of the damaged warship signals North Korea's capability to pursue a quick naval build-up. The exact extent of the damage done to the ship in last month's accident was not disclosed. It's also unclear whether the destroyer has been fully repaired. 'Experts are generally skeptical about North Korea's naval capabilities, but time and again, including the country's recent floating of the capsized ship, the country has demonstrated that it can make impressive progress when it is prepared to devote priority, resources, and time,' the 38 North program at the Stimson Center said in a report. The country's navy mainly consists of smaller vessels for coastal defense. The new destroyers were designed to extend the nation's firepower in the Yellow Sea to the west and in eastern waters in the direction of Japan. The new vessels can launch guided missiles and boast an air defense system that include the Russian Pantsir-M, 'manifesting the growing cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow,' according to an analysis by Beyond Parallel, which focuses on North Korea. 'While North Korea's two Choe Hyon-class destroyers may not yet match the sophistication of their South Korean or US counterparts, the pace with which they were built suggests North Korean shipyards are gaining the expertise needed to produce more advanced warships in the near future,' the 38 North report said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Miami Herald
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
North Korea Issues Update on Capsized Navy Ship
North Korea has righted a naval ship that capsized and was damaged during a botched launch in May, restoring its balance and mooring it to a pier, state media confirmed. The launch failure was an embarrassment for leader Kim Jong Un, who oversaw the incident and scolded the officials responsible, later saying they would be held criminally liable. The destroyer is now set for repairs in the Rajin Dockyard over the next 10 days, North Korea's KCNA reported, with a deadline for its "perfect restoration" set by Kim for before a major party congress in late June. Outside experts say it remains unclear how severely the 5,000-ton-class destroyer was damaged. Kim had called the failure a "criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism." The destroyer became unbalanced and was punctured in its bottom sections after a transport cradle on the stern section slid off first and became stuck, KCNA said at the time. "North Korea's failed ship launch was a huge embarrassment to Kim Jong Un, especially since it happened in front of his eyes," said Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies. North Korean law enforcement authorities have detained at least four officials over the incident, including the vice director of the Workers' Party's munitions industry department, according to state media. The North's main military committee said those responsible would be held accountable for their "unpardonable criminal act." Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Thursday that the South's military assesses that the North Koreans righted the ship earlier this week and are likely conducting drainage operations while examining the damage. "The nature and duration of the repair process will vary, depending on internal repairs, additional work or whether the incident affected the keel," Lee said, referring to the ship's structural backbone. "This could also affect how the ship is used going forward." The damaged warship was North Korea's second known destroyer and seen as a crucial asset toward Kim's goal of modernizing its naval forces. North Korea launched the first of its Choe Hyon-class destroyers in late April at its Nampho shipyard southwest of Pyongyang, which analysts said was the largest warship the country had ever produced. This new type of destroyer will be able to launch advanced weapons, including cruise and ballistic missiles, North Korea has said. This is a developing article. Updates to follow. This article uses reporting by The Associated Press. Related Articles US Demands 'End' to Military Cooperation Between North Korea and Russia'Significant Step': New Photos Reveal North Korean Warship UpdateGlobal Arms Race Warning Issued As Nuclear Warheads IncreaseNorth Korea Celebrates Triplets Amid Birth Rate Crisis 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Miami Herald
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Significant Step': New Photos Reveal North Korean Warship Update
North Korean workers have succeeded in pulling a capsized warship upright, new analysis suggests, after Pyongyang condemned the failed launch of its new destroyer last month as an international embarrassment. North Korea, increasingly allied with Russia and broadcasting its intensive military build-up, has swerved away from long-held policies of reconciliation with South Korea and adopted a more aggressive tone toward the U.S., a key ally for Seoul. Pyongyang has forged ahead with its weapons development, including nuclear warheads, and pushed for a more formidable navy. North Korea's attempt to launch a second Choe Hyon-class destroyer at its northeastern Chongjin port on May 21 ended in a "serious accident," North Korean state media reported at the time. The first of this new type of warship was successfully launched in April. The second 5,000-ton warship was damaged "due to inexperienced command and operational carelessness," state media reported, an unusually candid public assessment for the secretive nation seeking to exude military strength. The country's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, was present for the bungled launch. "North Korea's failed ship launch was a huge embarrassment to Kim Jong Un, especially since it happened in front of his eyes," said Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies. Kim, who called the launch failure a "criminal act," ordered the warship to be restored. State media reported shortly after the incident that authorities had arrested four people over the botched launch. It would take up to three days to pump seawater from flooded parts of the ship, and roughly 10 days to pull the ship upright, according to state media. Satellite imagery published by the 38 North project, which focuses on North Korea and is run by the Washington, D.C.-based Stimson Center nonprofit, from Monday showed that the warship was upright for the first time in several weeks, the analysts said. Personnel at the dock have taken a "significant step" toward restoring the vessel, they added. The warship was significantly damaged," the U.K.-based Open Source Centre nonprofit said last month. The vessel "will not be entering service anytime soon and may ultimately prove to be a complete loss," experts with the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Beyond Parallel project said in late May. North Korea launched the first of its Choe Hyon-class destroyers in late April at its Nampho shipyard southwest of Pyongyang, which analysts said was the largest warship the country had ever produced. This new type of destroyer will be able to launch advanced weapons, including cruise and ballistic missiles, North Korea has said. "Kim has taken a deep personal interest in promoting the country's ongoing naval modernization," Yeo told Newsweek. The failed launch at the Chongjin shipyard "not only undermined the narrative of North Korea's powerful naval build-up, but it also cast doubt on whether North Korea has the actual means and capabilities to build a new fleet of ships as quickly as it hopes." North Korean state media, on May 23: "The accident is an unpardonable criminal act. Those responsible for it can never evade their responsibility for the crime." Related Articles Nuclear Arms Race Warning as Warheads IncreaseNorth Korea Celebrates Triplets Amid Birth Rate CrisisUS Allies Stage War Games Near ChinaNorth Korean Soldiers Praised by Russia for Fighting Ukraine 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
