Kim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report

Lead

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for a major expansion of the country's naval forces, proposing the construction of two large warships each year for the next five years. The announcement came during a commissioning ceremony for a new destroyer at the port of Nampho, as reported by state media KCNA.

Coverage Comparison

Fox News reported that Kim suggested North Korea should build two warships comparable in size to its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class vessel each year over the next five years. The South China Morning Post focused on Kim's remarks about equipping the Navy with nuclear weapons, quoting him as saying that the programme is "following its planned course unerringly." The Hindu noted that Kim attended the ceremony to celebrate the deployment of the new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon, and that the vessel successfully completed military operational tests over the past 14 months.

Key Claims

Kim Jong Un said the country should build two warships as large as its 5,000-metric-ton Choe Hyon vessel every year for the next five years, according to KCNA. The destroyer Choe Hyon successfully completed military operational tests over the past 14 months, as reported by Fox News and The Hindu.

In April, Kim observed launches of two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the vessel, according to Fox News, which cited North Korean state media. The South China Morning Post also mentioned that Kim oversaw a cruise missile test from the Choe Hyon in April.

Kim stated that the navy's nuclearization is "advancing along its own course," contributing to the country's nuclear deterrence, as reported by Fox News and The Hindu. The South China Morning Post quoted Kim as saying the programme of equipping the Navy with nuclear weapons "is following its planned course unerringly."

North Korea has previously said the Choe Hyon is equipped with the "most powerful weapons," and Kim has made multiple inspections of vessels in its class this year, according to the South China Morning Post.

The country plans to deploy another 5,000-ton destroyer named Kang Kon soon, along with 10,000-ton strategic warships, as reported by Fox News and The Hindu. The South China Morning Post quoted Kim as saying, "Following the Choe Hyon, we will soon commission destroyer Kang Kon for operations. After that we will launch 10,000-tonne strategic warships one after another."

The Hindu reported that Kim described the Navy as having been the weakest part of North Korea's military forces, and that building a modernised naval base has emerged as a "desperate and essential task." Fox News noted that analysts have long viewed the navy as one of the weaker branches of the military.

Perspectives

North Korean leadership: Kim Jong Un framed the naval expansion as essential, describing the Navy's nuclearisation as advancing "along its own course" and contributing to the country's nuclear deterrence. He also said the Navy's capabilities would become "something incredible beyond imagination."