Amid escalating tensions in West Asia that have intensified into a major conflict involving Iran, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from a newly built naval destroyer ahead of its official commissioning, according to state media reports cited by Seoul based news agency Yonhap News Agency on Thursday. Kim supervised the launch of sea-to-surface missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon at a shipyard in the western port city of Nampo. The report, citing the state run Korean Central News Agency, said the missiles were fired on Wednesday as part of testing the warship’s operational capabilities.

During the inspection, Kim described the destroyer as a “new symbol of sea defence” for the country and said the successful tests marked a significant milestone in strengthening North Korea’s maritime defence. He stated that the developments represent a major shift in protecting the nation’s maritime sovereignty, something the country had not achieved in decades. According to Yonhap, North Korea’s reference to “strategic” weapons typically indicates that the systems could potentially carry nuclear warheads.

Kim visited the shipyard over two days to inspect the Choe Hyon, the lead vessel of a new class of 5,000 tonne destroyers currently under construction in North Korea. The ship was first unveiled in April 2025 as part of Pyongyang’s efforts to modernize and strengthen its naval forces. Previously, in May last year, another destroyer of the same class capsized during a launch ceremony at the Chongjin Shipyard, an incident witnessed by Kim himself. Reports from Al Jazeera said the accident damaged sections of the hull and left the bow stuck on the shipway. Kim later condemned the failure as a “criminal act,” blaming it on serious negligence and irresponsibility among state institutions.

Following the incident, North Korea successfully launched another 5,000 tonne destroyer named Kang Kon in June last year. Before the development of the Choe Hyon class, North Korea’s most advanced naval vessel was a 1,500 tonne frigate, according to South Korea’s defence white paper. KCNA also reported that a third destroyer is currently under construction at the Nampo shipyard and is expected to be completed in time for the anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea in October.

Yonhap noted that Pyongyang has pledged to continue expanding its nuclear arsenal and developing strategic weapons as part of a new five year defence plan. During the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party held in February, Kim reportedly reaffirmed plans to strengthen the country’s nuclear capabilities. Shortly after the congress, the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran that reportedly resulted in the death of Ali Khamenei. In response, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry condemned the actions through KCNA, describing them as reckless and illegal aggression that violated national sovereignty. North Korea has also strengthened defence cooperation in recent years by signing agreements with both Russia and China.