North Korea earlier this week conducted the first test-firing of the weapons system of the new “Choe Hyon-class”; warship it recently unveiled, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday.
The report stated that cruise and anti-air missiles were launched and artillery fired as part of the test-firing attended by leader Kim Jong Un and senior officials.
Kim was quoted as saying that the time has come for North Korea’s navy to choose to accelerate nuclear armament for maritime sovereignty and for the sake of national defence.
Speaking to reporters, an official at Seoul’s defence ministry said that the intelligence agencies of South Korea and the US were closely monitoring North Korea’s shipbuilding activities.
According to 38 North, a think tank focusing on North Korea, further work might be required before the new naval destroyer could take to the sea under its own propulsion, noting a satellite image of tugboats nudging the ship back towards a floating dry dock.
“The use of tugboats to move the ship into place and back again could indicate the lack of a functioning propulsion system,”; the think tank said.
On Saturday, North Korean state media revealed the 5,000-tonne warship which it claimed was equipped with the most powerful weapons.
In a speech from the launch reported by KCNA, Kim said the warship would be handed over to the navy and enter service early next year.
According to KCNA, the “Choe Hyon-class”; ship was named after anti-Japanese revolutionary fighter Choe Hyon.
