Kim Jong Un orders North Korea to build two warships per year over next five years

SEOUL, June 24 (Reuters) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the country's shipyards to produce two warships the size of the 5,000-ton Choe Hyon every year for the next five years, a major push to modernize a navy long considered the weakest branch of the country's military.

Kim made the remarks on Tuesday during a commissioning ceremony for a new destroyer at the Nampho port, state media KCNA reported. The vessel, named the Choe Hyon, is a multipurpose destroyer that completed 14 months of military operational tests before its deployment.

The order marks an aggressive expansion for North Korea's naval ambitions, which have historically been overshadowed by its land-based missile and nuclear programs. In recent years, Pyongyang has increasingly focused on sea-based deterrents, including submarine-launched ballistic missiles and nuclear-capable surface ships.

According to KCNA, Kim said the country also plans to deploy a second 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon, in the near future, along with 10,000-ton strategic warships. The Kang Kon partially capsized during a launch ceremony last year but has since been repaired, a sign of persistent technical challenges in North Korea's shipbuilding efforts.

Kim described the navy's transformation as “something incredible beyond imagination,” adding that building a modernized naval base has become “a desperate and essential task.” He said the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee discussed plans for new naval bases during a meeting on Monday.

The navy's nuclearization is “advancing along its own course,” Kim said, contributing to the country's overall nuclear deterrence. He did not provide details on the status or scope of the program, but the statement aligns with North Korea's broader strategy to diversify delivery platforms for its growing nuclear arsenal.

Analysts say the accelerated warship construction could further raise tensions in the region, particularly for South Korea, Japan, and the United States, which have condemned North Korea's weapons development. The push for larger surface vessels also suggests Pyongyang is seeking a blue-water capability that could project power beyond the Korean Peninsula.

(Reporting by Heejin Kim; Editing by Jamie Freed)