North Korea Commissions First Guided-Missile Destroyer Choe Hyon

Kim Jong-un presided over the commissioning of the Choe Hyon, North Korea's first guided-missile destroyer, at a ceremony in the west-coast port city of Nampho. The 5,000-ton vessel — built at Nampho Shipyard and launched April 25, 2025 — is fitted with 88 vertical launch system cells (64 aft, 24 forward) and will join the Korean People's Navy's West Sea Fleet. Kim said the destroyer marks the start of a naval construction plan for 2026–2030 that will produce two major surface combatants a year, including forthcoming 10,000-ton-class strategic guided-missile cruisers.