North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the newly commissioned destroyer Choe Hyon on the second day of the Defense Development-2025 military equipment exhibition. He stressed the need for a comprehensive and accelerated enhancement of naval capabilities.
The Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on Monday that Kim made these remarks during his visit to Choe Hyon on the previous day. He was accompanied by high-ranking party and government officials, including Secretary Jo Chun-ryong, as well as leaders from defense and security agencies.
Following a formal welcoming ceremony by the navy, Kim received a report from the commander of the naval honor guard and inspected the troops. He then conducted a thorough examination of the ship’s key armaments and various compartments.
Kim hailed the launch of the Choe Hyon, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party’s founding, as a clear demonstration of the regime’s growing self-reliant military capabilities.
The North Korean leader emphasized that the navy’s formidable capabilities must be projected across vast oceans to effectively deter and counter enemy provocations, thereby safeguarding national sovereignty and security interests. He declared that the Workers’ Party would relentlessly pursue the comprehensive and accelerated expansion of naval power to protect national rights.
Kim also underscored the importance of ideological education for marines serving aboard the destroyer. He expressed confidence that Choe Hyon’s crew would pioneer a new era of naval culture and advancement, excelling in political ideology, military technology, and physical readiness.
The state-run newspaper lauded the Choe Hyon as a significant achievement of North Korea’s indigenous shipbuilding industry, symbolizing the modernity, advancement, and military technological prowess of the regime’s rapidly evolving naval forces.
The report added that a banquet for naval personnel, organized by the Central Military Commission, was held aboard the destroyer.
In a related development, Rodong Sinmun reported that the Defense Development-2025 military equipment exhibition successfully opened in Pyongyang on October 4. During this event, Kim unveiled an array of new weapon systems, including the hypersonic short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) Hwasong-11, significantly elevating the regime’s military posture.