&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Kim Jong Un reveals ambitious plan for nuclear-armed North Korean navy")
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform his country's navy into a nuclear-armed force, declaring that Pyongyang will build larger warships, amid the nation's push to expand its maritime military capabilities in the years ahead. The announcement came during a ceremony commissioning the Choe Hyon, a 5,000-ton destroyer that North Korea has described as one of the most heavily armed vessels ever produced by the country, reported state media on Wednesday.
Plans already in motion
Speaking at the event in the western port city of Nampho, Kim said efforts to equip the navy with nuclear weapons were already moving ahead according to plan. "The programme of equipping the Navy with nuclear weapons is following its planned course unerringly," Kim was quoted as saying by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"This is a strategic course of crucial importance as it will make it possible to keep the nuclear force of our state ready for multifaceted and efficient operation," he said.
Notably, North Korea is already under multiple sets of sanctions over its nuclear programme. However, leaders continue insisting that they won't abandon the nuclear programme and argue that it was essential as a deterrent against the United States and South Korea.
North Korea's Choe Hyon
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The country had previously said that the Choe Hyon is equipped with the "most powerful weapons". Reports suggest that it is only the beginning. Kim said that another destroyer, named Kang Kon, would soon enter service, followed by a new generation of strategic warships. "Following the Choe Hyon, we will soon commission destroyer Kang Kon for operations. After that we will launch 10,000-ton strategic warships one after another," Kim said in his speech.
According to his vision, North Korea should "build every year two surface ships, whose class is higher than the Choe Hyon, including a 10,000-ton cruiser".
The announcement comes as tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has repeatedly accused the United States and South Korea of escalating military pressure through joint exercises and increased defence cooperation. Kim recently warned that the peninsula was being pushed "to the brink of a nuclear war".
