North Korea is concurrently constructing two new combat surface ships of a modern design at shipyards in the cities of Nampo and Chongjin.

The report comes from KPA_bot, a North Korean military observer.

While analyzing newly released photographs of the shipbuilding process by the Korean news agency, various construction sites for the ships were identified.

The biggest difference was noticeable in the construction sites, as the first photos showing the new ship were taken in a hard-walled boathouse in Nampo.

Meanwhile, recent photographs of the ship were taken at the shipyard in Chongjin, where camouflage nets were draped around the vessel for added secrecy. Kim Jong-un also visited the shipyard, overseeing the construction and making his own modifications to the process.

The new inspection photographs provided a clearer comparison of the two ships, highlighting some notable differences. For example, the covered dry dock of one combat ship lacked the completed structure for the hydroacoustic station, whereas the recently released images of the other ship showed it in place.

The cranes used are also noteworthy and have a different design, which also confirms that the construction is taking place at another facility.

Moreover, the new photos offered a clearer view of the ship’s superstructure, revealing shafts for vertical launch systems. While it’s still unclear which specific cells will be installed, South Korean experts believe that North Korea will either use Chinese-made systems or domestically developed ones based on Chinese technology.

The outline for the installation of the antenna arrays closely resembles those used on Chinese Type 055 ships, specifically the X-band multifunction radar systems with active phased array antennas.

It is worth noting that it was at this shipyard where one of North Korea’s most advanced and powerful surface ships was built, a class that is referred to in the West as Amnok or Nampo.

On August 21, 2023, one of the representatives of this type of warship of the Korean People’s Army Navy launched a long-range cruise missile for the first time.