We Will Get Nuclear Weapons: Kim Jong Un Announces 10,000-Ton Warships for North Korea's Navy

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared that his country's naval nuclearisation programme is advancing as planned, commissioning the 5,000-tonne destroyer Choe Hyon and unveiling ambitious plans for larger 10,000-tonne warships as part of a sweeping expansion of North Korea's military capabilities.

Speaking at a commissioning ceremony at the western port of Nampo, Kim said the navy was evolving from a force focused on coastal defence into a strategic service equipped with nuclear deterrence capabilities. State media reported that the Choe Hyon has formally entered service and will defend North Korea's western coast.

The destroyer, North Korea's largest operational warship, is believed to carry anti aircraft and anti ship systems as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles . The vessel completed 14 months of military and operational testing before entering active service, including missile launch exercises conducted in recent months.

Kim announced that North Korea intends to build two 5,000-tonne warships annually over the next five years , commission the repaired destroyer Kang Kon , and subsequently deploy a series of 10,000-tonne strategic warships . He also called for the rapid construction of modern naval bases to support the expanding fleet and said the navy's role, status and operational reach would undergo a major transformation.

The announcement comes as Pyongyang accelerates efforts to strengthen its nuclear arsenal following the collapse of denuclearisation talks with the United States in 2019. Kim recently pledged an "exponential" expansion of nuclear forces and weapons-grade material production, arguing that North Korea must exercise its position as a nuclear weapons state amid what he described as an increasingly unstable global security environment and a world approaching the "brink of nuclear war."

South Korean officials and analysts have suggested Russia may have provided technical assistance for North Korea's latest naval projects, although those claims remain unverified. Experts view the naval expansion as part of Kim's broader strategy to establish a credible sea based nuclear deterrent alongside ongoing work on a nuclear-powered submarine and advanced missile systems.