Kim Jong Un Equips North Korean Navy with Nuclear Weapons, Plans 10,000-Ton Warship

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said his country is equipping its navy with nuclear weapons and unveiled plans to build a 10,000-ton warship.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the remarks were made on Tuesday at the commissioning of the Choe Hyon, one of two 5,000-ton warships launched by the nuclear-armed state last year, in the port city of Nampo.

“The programme to equip the navy with nuclear weapons is proceeding as planned without error,” Kim said at the ceremony. “This is a very important strategic step as it will enable our country’s nuclear forces to be ready for diverse and efficient operations.”

North Korea has previously stated that the Choe Hyon is equipped with “the most powerful weapons”, and Kim has conducted several inspections of vessels in the class this year, including overseeing a cruise missile test from the Choe Hyon in April.

“Following the Choe Hyon, we will soon operate the Kang Kon destroyer. After that, we will launch strategic 10,000-ton warships one after another,” Kim said in his speech. Under the plan, North Korea must “build two surface ships each year, of a class higher than the Choe Hyon, including a 10,000-ton cruiser”, he added.

At a three-day party plenum that concluded on Monday, Kim pledged to enhance defence capabilities, citing military modernisation efforts by South Korea and the United States as pushing the region “to the brink of nuclear war”.

Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state since a 2019 summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump collapsed over differences on the scope of denuclearisation and sanctions relief. North Korea remains under multiple sanctions related to its nuclear programme, and the two Koreas are technically still at war as the 1950-1953 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.