North Korea Advances Naval Nuclearization Program, Plans 10,000-Ton Warships

Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that the country is moving forward with its program to equip its navy with nuclear weapons as planned, and also announced an ambitious plan to build strategic warships with a capacity of 10,000 tons.

According to North Korea's state news agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim made such an announcement at a ceremony held in the port city of Nampo on Tuesday.

At the ceremony, the 5,000-ton warship Choe Hyeon, built by North Korea last year, was formally commissioned into the navy. "The program to equip the navy with nuclear weapons is proceeding according to the set plan," Kim said, addressing the ceremony. According to him, this will enable North Korea's nuclear power to be effectively deployed in various fields.

North Korea had previously called the Choe Hyeon warship its most powerful weaponized vessel. Kim inspected various warships of this class this year. In April, he also directly observed a cruise missile test from the Choe Hyeon. In his speech, Kim said that another destroyer, Kang Gwon, would also be put into operation soon.

He said, "After Choe Hyeon, we will put Kang Gwon into operation. Then, strategic warships with a capacity of 10,000 tons will be gradually built and operated." According to Kim's plan, North Korea now aims to build two surface warships of a higher class than Choe Hyeon each year. This will include cruiser-class ships with a capacity of 10,000 tons.

In a three-day party meeting concluded on Monday, Kim expressed his commitment to further strengthen the country's defense capabilities. He claimed that South Korea and the US have accelerated their military modernization, pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war.

North Korea has declared itself an irreversible nuclear power since the summit talks between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in Hanoi in 2019 failed. Since then, Pyongyang has been continuously expanding its nuclear and missile programs.