Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of a sea-to-surface “strategic cruise missile” from his country’s new destroyer.
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Published March 5, 2026
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test launch of a “strategic cruise missile” from a new 5,000-ton naval destroyer before its formal commissioning, state media said.
Kim oversaw the launch of a sea-to-surface missile from the destroyer Choi Hyun on Wednesday, calling the test a “core” element of the new warship’s capabilities and calling it a “new symbol of maritime defense.”
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Mr. Kim called for the construction of more warships of the same class or larger, and said the navy was progressing toward nuclear weapons.
“The strength of our navy for attack from both underwater and surface areas will rapidly expand. The navy’s nuclear armament is making satisfactory progress,” Kim said at the Nampo shipyard in the country’s west, according to North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
“All these successes represent fundamental changes in protecting our nation’s maritime sovereignty, something we have not been able to achieve for half a century,” he said.
South Korea’s state-run Yonhap news agency pointed out that North Korea was making reference to “strategic” weapons to suggest the possibility that it has nuclear capabilities.
According to KCNA, during a two-day visit to the shipyard on Tuesday and Wednesday, Kim inspected the Choi Hyun, the lead ship in the new 5,000-ton Choi Hyun-class destroyer series currently under construction in North Korea.
“We will wage a more active and persistent struggle.”
In May 2025, North Korea’s ambitious naval modernization plan suffered a major setback when two Choe Hyun-class destroyers capsized during a botched side-launch ceremony at the Chongjin shipyard, an accident witnessed by South Korean leaders.
Later, in a rare admission of failure, KCNA reported that a failure in the launch mechanism caused the 5,000-ton destroyer’s stern to prematurely slide into the sea. The accident broke part of the ship’s hull and left its bow stranded in the channel.
At the time, Kim characterized the failed launch as a “criminal act” and blamed the incident on “absolute carelessness” and “irresponsibility” across multiple state agencies.
This week’s missile test comes after North Korea’s leader promised to improve living standards at the opening of a rare congress of the ruling Workers’ Party, held once every five years, in late February.
Kim told parliament that the ruling party is “facing the grave and urgent historical task of building the economy and improving the people’s standard of living.”
“To achieve this, we need to wage a more active and persistent struggle without allowing ourselves to stagnate or stagnate for a moment,” he said.
North Korea has prioritized nuclear weapons development and military power above all else, insisting that it must be strong militarily to counter pressure from the United States and its ally South Korea.
Since taking power in late 2011, Kim has kept the military a top priority while simultaneously emphasizing strengthening the economy to address the country’s chronic poverty.
