North Korea commissions warship as Kim eyes nuclear navy
Kim Jong Un vows to equip North Korea's navy with nuclear weapons, signaling a strategic shift in military capabilities.
By Al Jazeera, Apps Support
The newly commissioned Choe Hyon, a 5,000-tonne warship, is billed by Pyongyang as carrying some of the country's "most powerful weapons", including ship-launched cruise missiles that could be fitted with tactical nuclear warheads, in Nampho, North Korea, June 23, 2026 [Handout/KCNA via AFP].
Kim Jong Un told a commissioning ceremony in Nampho that warships such as the Choe Hyon prove the nuclear armament of North Korea's navy is progressing as planned, according to state media, June 23, 2026 [Handout/KCNA via AFP].
Kim Jong Un attends the commissioning ceremony of the Choe Hyon, North Korea's first 5,000-tonne destroyer, which state media said will be tasked with defending the country's western coast, at Nampho port, June 23, 2026 [Handout/KCNA via AFP].
Kim Jong Un salutes the destroyer Choe Hyon, which he has cast as a major step towards extending North Korea's operational reach and pre-emptive strike capabilities, at Nampho port, June 23, 2026. KCNA says the warship is armed with anti-aircraft and anti-ship weapons, as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles [Handout/KCNA via AFP].
Kim Jong Un stands aboard the destroyer Choe Hyon at Nampho port, June 23, 2026. South Korean officials and experts say the warship was likely built with Russian help amid deepening military ties, but some analysts question whether it is ready for active service [Handout/KCNA via AFP].
North Korea has put the Choe Hyon through a series of recent tests, including launches of what it describes as nuclear-capable cruise missiles from the destroyer. [KCNA via AFP]
Kim Jong Un says North Korea’s navy is evolving from a coastal defence force into a full-fledged service equipped with strategic nuclear capabilities, and that its nuclear armament programme is proceeding as planned. [KCNA via AFP]
Kim Jong Un is shifting his focus from ballistic missiles to naval power, pushing the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine and setting five-year goals that include intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of being launched from underwater. [KCNA via AFP]
The destroyer Choe Hyon departs following its commissioning ceremony at Nampho port, June 23, 2026. After a March missile test aboard the vessel, Kim Jong Un said arming his navy with nuclear weapons would "constitute a radical change in defending our maritime sovereignty, something that we have not achieved for half a century". State media did not explain his remarks, but some analysts say North Korea may be preparing to declare a new maritime boundary that could cut into waters controlled by South Korea [Handout/KCNA via AFP].