North Korea Introduces Choe Hyon Destroyer Into Fleet

North Korea held a flag-raising ceremony and formally commissioned the destroyer Choe Hyon into its naval fleet.

The state agency KCNA announced this.

The ceremony took place on June 23 at the port of Nampo, with Kim Jong Un in attendance.

According to KCNA, the vessel underwent more than a year of testing, including weapons trials, live-fire tests, navigation trials, and a comprehensive evaluation of combat systems.

The ship was officially assigned to the Western Fleet of the North Korean Navy, where it will perform missions to protect the country’s maritime sovereignty.

It is worth noting that the construction and testing process encountered difficulties.

During the launch ceremony of the destroyer on April 25, 2025, hull damage occurred, including breaches in the lower section. Kim Jong Un, who attended the ceremony, stated that the accident was caused by negligence and irresponsibility, which he described as a criminal act. Despite this, the construction of the ship was completed in a record 400 days for North Korea.

During tests, the vessel launched surface-to-air, cruise, and anti-ship missiles. Its gun systems were also tested, including a 127 mm automatic gun and a short-range anti-aircraft artillery system. According to published images, surface-to-air missiles were launched from both bow and stern vertical launch cells.

In addition, Hwasal-2 missiles, placed in separate transport and launch containers amidships, were also tested.

The first mention of the vessel’s construction appeared in May 2024, when satellite imagery of the Nampo shipyard showed sections of its hull.

Characteristics of the Choe Hyon destroyer:

• Displacement: about 5,000 tons.
• Armament: 74 vertical launch cells for strike and air defense missiles.
• Artillery: 127 mm gun system and Pantsir-M short-range air defense system.
• Strike systems: up to eight Hwasal-2 cruise missiles and launchers for missile systems similar to Spike ER/NLOS.
• Anti-submarine warfare: 533 mm torpedo tubes.
• Radar system: four AESA antennas for detection and tracking of air and surface targets.