North Korea Plan to Build Third 5,000-Ton Choe Hyon-Class Destroyer

North Korea has announced plans to build a third 5,000-ton destroyer, state media reported on Tuesday. The vessel, which will be part of the Choe Hyon-class, follows the earlier launches of two similar warships this year — one in April and another in May, though the second launch initially faced technical issues.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is personally leading this naval expansion. In April 2025, he oversaw the launch of the country's first modern 5,000-ton warship, named the Choe Hyon. A second ship, the Kang Kon, was launched in May, but suffered a botched debut. It was later repaired and floated again in June.

This fresh destroyer will be built at the Nampho Shipyard, one of North Korea’s major naval construction facilities. On Monday, workers at the shipyard held a rally and pledged to complete the new destroyer — the "Choe Hyon-class Destroyer No. 3" — by October 10, 2026. The date coincides with the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, making the timeline politically symbolic as well as strategic.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the ship is described as “a powerful warship of our own type”, and the dockyard’s leadership has urged workers to fulfill this “historic mission” in order to defend North Korea's maritime sovereignty and national interests.

Meanwhile, South Korean officials are closely watching the development. According to them, North Korea may have received technical help from Russia in constructing these new warships. This speculation comes amid growing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, including reports of North Korea sending troops or support to Russia for its war in Ukraine in exchange for defense cooperation.

The increased naval activity also comes at a time of shifting political winds in South Korea. Newly elected President Lee Jae-myung, who took office following a snap election last month, has pledged a more conciliatory stance towards North Korea, breaking away from the aggressive approach of his impeached predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol. President Lee has already ordered a halt to anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts, and in return, North Korea has ended its eerie sound broadcasts aimed at the South.

The announcement of a third Choe Hyon-class destroyer marks another bold move by Kim Jong Un to modernize and expand the country’s naval capabilities — a notable development in the ongoing military dynamics of the Korean Peninsula.