North Korea Begins Building Third 5,000-Ton-Class Destroyer For 2026 Launch
North Korea has kicked off the construction of its third destroyer, which is a part of the 5,000-ton class. The government aims to have this ship ready by October 10, 2026, coinciding with the founding day of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.
A rally was held on Monday at the Nampo Shipyard to celebrate the start of this new construction project. This vessel will be the third in the Choe Hyon-class of destroyers. Analysts speculate that this initiative may be tied to North Korea's ambitions to enhance its ability to deliver tactical nuclear arms, likely with assistance from Russia.
During the rally, Jo Chunryong, the Workers’ Party's secretary for the munitions industry, and Yoon Chigul, the director of Nampo Shipyard, were present, along with shipyard workers, engineers, and other officials. Yoon encouraged the workers to complete their tasks promptly and to showcase their loyalty by contributing to the strengthening of the military. He urged the team to exhibit creativity and determination to meet the deadline for the destroyer’s construction.
This new ship follows the launch of two earlier destroyers of the same class. The first, named Choe Hyon, was launched on April 26, while the second, Kang Kon, launched on May 21, unfortunately capsized shortly after its introduction but was later recovered and relaunched on June 12. During the relaunch event, Kim Jong-un indicated that North Korea could start deploying two Choe Hyon-class destroyers or more each year beginning in 2026.
Oh Gyeongseob, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, noted that North Korea seems focused on creating warships capable of launching nuclear weapons from the sea. He linked this development to Kim Jong-un's proclamation of a total breakdown in inter-Korean relations made during a party meeting in late 2023. Since that announcement, North Korea has intensified efforts to bolster its naval capabilities.
The October 10, 2026 deadline for finishing the third destroyer is particularly significant as it marks an important political anniversary for the nation. Completing the warship by this date could also help restore national pride following the issues surrounding the Kang Kon's initial launch.
Notably, the previous destroyers were constructed in under a year, which is quite remarkable considering that most 5,000 to 8,000-ton class warships usually require 18 to 24 months to complete.
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