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NZ Herald
22-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
‘Serious' accident at North Korea warship launch: state media
It said the accident managed to 'destroy the balance of the warship'. Kim watched the entire incident and declared it a 'criminal act caused by absolute carelessness', warning it 'could not be tolerated'. He said the 'irresponsible errors' of officials responsible would be 'dealt with at the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee to be convened next month'. South Korea's military said US and Seoul intelligence authorities assess that North Korea's 'side-launch attempt' of the ship failed. 'The side-launch method used in this case is no longer employed by South Korea's military,' Lee Sung-jun, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters. The vessel was listing in the water, Lee said, and based on its size and scale, it was believed to be similarly equipped to the 5000-tonne, destroyer-class warship Choe Hyon, which North Korea unveiled last month. Last month, Pyongyang's state media ran images of Kim attending a launching ceremony of Choe Hyon with his daughter Ju Ae, considered by many experts to be his likely successor. North Korea claimed the vessel was equipped with the 'most powerful weapons' and that it would 'enter into operation early next year'. Some analysts said the ship could be equipped with short-range tactical missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads – although North Korea has not proven it has the ability to miniaturise its atomic arsenal. Russian connection? The South Korean military has said the Choe Hyon could have been developed with Russian help – possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight Ukraine. Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, said the warship involved in Wednesday's accident may have also been constructed with Russian assistance. Chongjin, the North Korean city where the launch ceremony was held, is close to Russia's Vladivostok port, he noted. 'It's also likely that the projected timeline for the vessel – including when assembly would be completed and the ship launched – was shared with the Russian side,' he told AFP. 'It appears the dock was hastily constructed, and multiple issues may have arisen during the shipbuilding process. 'With today's announcement, Pyongyang seems to be signalling not only to its own people, but also to the Russian side.' Strengthening the navy North Korea confirmed in April for the first time that it had deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow in the Ukraine war. Moscow and Pyongyang recently announced that they had started building the first road bridge linking the two countries. North Korea also launched a flurry of ballistic missiles last year in violation of UN sanctions. In March, Kim inspected a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, asserting that 'radically' boosting the navy was a key part of Pyongyang's defensive strategy. Kim called at the time for the modernisation of the country's surface and underwater naval forces, including the development of warships. Pyongyang has previously claimed to be developing underwater nuclear attack drones, which could unleash a 'radioactive tsunami', but analysts have questioned whether it actually had such a weapon. Washington – Seoul's key security ally – has in recent years ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of strategic US assets in the region to deter the North, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine. Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an 'irreversible' nuclear weapons state and routinely denounces joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion.
Kuwait Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Kim eyes nukes for North Korea navy
SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered navy vessels to be speedily armed with nuclear weapons, state media reported Wednesday, as Pyongyang conducted its first test-firing of a new warship weapons system. This weekend, Pyongyang had unveiled its new warship, a 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel named Choe Hyon, which some analysts said was likely to be equipped with short-range tactical nuclear missiles. Kim oversaw the first day of a two-day weapons test of the destroyer, the official Korean Central News Agency said. He then ordered officials to work on 'accelerating the nuclear armament of the navy', it added. North Korea has previously said the vessel was equipped with the 'most powerful weapons', and that it would 'enter into operation early next year'. Experts have said that given its size, the warship is believed to carry both ship-to-surface and ship-to-air missiles. KCNA said Tuesday's test was of 'ship-to-ship tactical guided weapon, various kinds of ship-based automatic guns and smoke and electronic jamming guns,' involving the newly unveiled vessel. The news agency said Pyongyang also tested its 'supersonic cruise missile, strategic cruise missile, anti-aircraft missile and 127 mm ship-based automatic gun' on Monday. Kim said the country's ship-based firepower system was 'effectively combined' with the 'most powerful strike means including supersonic cruise missile, strategic cruise missile and tactical ballistic missile'. Seoul's defense ministry said it was 'closely tracking and monitoring the North Korean military's shipbuilding and development trends,' in cooperation with the United States. Pyongyang's announcement came days after it confirmed for the first time it had deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow in its war in Ukraine. Moscow also said Saturday that North Korean soldiers 'provided significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces'. Some analysts say Pyongyang appears to have acquired certain weapons from Moscow to equip its warships, possibly in exchange for deploying troops. 'It seems that North Korea has recently imported several modern weapons from Russia,' Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, told AFP. The North has also 'assembled them, and used them effectively to strengthen internal unity and boost military morale,' he added. Kim at launch State media had reported Saturday on the launching of the Choe Hyon, showing images of Kim attending a ceremony with his daughter Ju Ae, considered by many experts as his likely successor. In March, Kim inspected a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, asserting that 'radically' boosting the navy was a key part of Pyongyang's defensive strategy. At the time, Kim called for the modernization of the country's surface and underwater naval forces, including the development of warships. Pyongyang has claimed in previous years to be developing underwater nuclear attack drones, which could unleash a 'radioactive tsunami', but analysts have questioned whether it actually has such a weapon. Washington—Seoul's key security ally—has in recent years ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of strategic US assets, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine, in the region to deter the North. Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an 'irreversible' nuclear weapons state and routinely denounces joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion. 'North Korea's mention of its accelerated naval nuclear armament is presumed to refer to enhanced operational capabilities of tactical nuclear and strategic missiles by the fleet,' said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. This week's test appears to highlight North Korea's assertion that its newly unveiled warship is capable of blue-water operations, he told AFP, referring to naval missions conducted far from a country's own coastal waters, often in open ocean areas. - AFP
Malay Mail
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Kim oversees warship weapons test-fire, eyes nukes for N. Korea navy
SEOUL, April 30 — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered navy vessels to be speedily armed with nuclear weapons, state media reported Wednesday, as Pyongyang conducted its first test-firing of a new warship weapons system. This weekend, Pyongyang had unveiled its new warship, a 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel named Choe Hyon, which some analysts said was likely to be equipped with short-range tactical nuclear missiles. Kim oversaw the first day of a two-day weapons test of the destroyer, the official Korean Central News Agency said. He then ordered officials to work on 'accelerating the nuclear armament of the navy', it added. North Korea has previously said the vessel was equipped with the 'most powerful weapons', and that it would 'enter into operation early next year'. Experts have said that given its size, the warship is believed to carry both ship-to-surface and ship-to-air missiles. KCNA said Tuesday's test was of 'ship-to-ship tactical guided weapon, various kinds of ship-based automatic guns and smoke and electronic jamming guns,' involving the newly unveiled vessel. The news agency said Pyongyang also tested its 'supersonic cruise missile, strategic cruise missile, anti-aircraft missile and 127 mm ship-based automatic gun' on Monday. Kim said the country's ship-based firepower system was 'effectively combined' with the 'most powerful strike means including supersonic cruise missile, strategic cruise missile and tactical ballistic missile'. Seoul's defence ministry said it was 'closely tracking and monitoring the North Korean military's shipbuilding and development trends,' in cooperation with the United States. Pyongyang's announcement came days after it confirmed for the first time it had deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow in its war in Ukraine. Moscow also said Saturday that North Korean soldiers 'provided significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces'. Some analysts say Pyongyang appears to have acquired certain weapons from Moscow to equip its warships, possibly in exchange for deploying troops. 'It seems that North Korea has recently imported several modern weapons from Russia,' Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, told AFP. The North has also 'assembled them, and used them effectively to strengthen internal unity and boost military morale,' he added. Kim at launch State media had reported Saturday on the launching of the Choe Hyon, showing images of Kim attending a ceremony with his daughter Ju Ae, considered by many experts as his likely successor. In March, Kim inspected a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, asserting that 'radically' boosting the navy was a key part of Pyongyang's defensive strategy. At the time, Kim called for the modernisation of the country's surface and underwater naval forces, including the development of warships. Pyongyang has claimed in previous years to be developing underwater nuclear attack drones, which could unleash a 'radioactive tsunami', but analysts have questioned whether it actually has such a weapon. Washington—Seoul's key security ally—has in recent years ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of strategic US assets, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine, in the region to deter the North. Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an 'irreversible' nuclear weapons state and routinely denounces joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion. 'North Korea's mention of its accelerated naval nuclear armament is presumed to refer to enhanced operational capabilities of tactical nuclear and strategic missiles by the fleet,' said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. This week's test appears to highlight North Korea's assertion that its newly unveiled warship is capable of blue-water operations, he told AFP, referring to naval missions conducted far from a country's own coastal waters, often in open ocean areas. — AFP
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Kim Jong Un oversees warship weapons test-fire, eyes nukes for North Korea navy
Experts have said that given its size, the warship is believed to carry both ship-to-surface and ship-to-air missiles. KCNA said Tuesday's test was of 'ship-to-ship tactical guided weapon, various kinds of ship-based automatic guns and smoke and electronic jamming guns', involving the newly unveiled vessel. The news agency said Pyongyang also tested its 'supersonic cruise missile, strategic cruise missile, anti-aircraft missile and 127mm ship-based automatic gun'. Kim said the country's ship-based firepower system was 'effectively combined' with the 'most powerful strike means, including supersonic cruise missile, strategic cruise missile and tactical ballistic missile'. Seoul's Defence Ministry said it was 'closely tracking and monitoring the North Korean military's shipbuilding and development trends', in co-operation with the United States. Pyongyang's announcement came days after it confirmed for the first time it had deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow in its war in Ukraine. Moscow also said that North Korean soldiers 'provided significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces'. Some analysts say Pyongyang appears to have acquired certain weapons from Moscow to equip its warships, possibly in exchange for deploying troops. 'It seems that North Korea has recently imported several modern weapons from Russia,' Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, told AFP. North Korea has also 'assembled them, and used them effectively to strengthen internal unity and boost military morale', he added. Kim at launch State media had reported on the weekend of the launching of the Choe Hyon, showing images of Kim attending a ceremony with his daughter Ju Ae, considered by many experts as his likely successor. In March, Kim inspected a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, asserting that 'radically' boosting the Navy was a key part of Pyongyang's defensive strategy. At the time, Kim called for the modernisation of the country's surface and underwater naval forces, including the development of warships. Pyongyang has claimed in previous years to be developing underwater nuclear attack drones, which could unleash a 'radioactive tsunami', but analysts have questioned whether it actually has such a weapon. Washington – Seoul's key security ally – has in recent years ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of strategic US assets, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine, in the region to deter North Korea. Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an 'irreversible' nuclear weapons state and routinely denounces joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion. 'North Korea's mention of its accelerated naval nuclear armament is presumed to refer to enhanced operational capabilities of tactical nuclear and strategic missiles by the fleet,' said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. This week's test appears to highlight North Korea's assertion that its newly unveiled warship is capable of blue-water operations, he told AFP, referring to naval missions conducted far from a country's own coastal waters, often in open ocean areas.
