North Korea test-fired strategic cruise missiles from its 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon on Tuesday as leader Kim Jong Un observed via video link, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday. The launch coincided with the start of annual U.S.-South Korea springtime military exercises.
Kim stressed the importance of maintaining and expanding a “powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent,” according to KCNA. Photos released by state media showed his daughter, Ju-ae, also observing the test. North Korea uses the term “strategic” on its missile systems to indicate nuclear warhead capability.
The test follows a similar launch from the same warship on March 4, when Kim personally supervised the destroyer’s final operational trials at Nampo shipyard. During that two-day visit, the Choe Hyon completed its first self-propelled voyage since its April 25, 2025 commissioning. The vessel had previously relied on tugboats during weapons trials.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw cruise missile launches from the Choe Hyon destroyer on #NorthKorea‘s west coast, marking final testing before the warship enters active service. pic.twitter.com/SpAUHtATcD
— IDU (@defencealerts) March 5, 2026
Kim has directed the construction of at least two destroyers of this class or larger annually over the next five years. A third Choe Hyon-class hull is under construction at Nampo and is scheduled to launch by October.
The destroyer program has faced setbacks. The second vessel in the class, Kang Kon, capsized during a botched launch ceremony at Chongjin Shipyard in May 2025. Kim called the incident a “criminal act.” North Korea relaunched the ship in June following salvage work, though outside analysts have questioned whether it is fully operational.
South Korean military officials have assessed that the Choe Hyon was likely built with Russian assistance given deepening military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.
