Kim Jong Un "satisfied" with naval nuclear armament... inspects deployment of "North Korean Aegis" destroyer Choi Hyun-ho

[Financial News] Kim Jong Un inspected the operational deployment status of the so‐called "North Korean Aegis warship," the destroyer Choi Hyun-ho, which is being prepared to carry nuclear weapons. He also observed a test launch of a strategic cruise missile and shooting competitions held for Snipers' Day. These activities appear aimed at showcasing the capabilities of the North Korean military amid heightened tensions following the recent U.S. attack on Iran.
According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 5th, Kim visited Choi Hyun-ho, which has entered operational deployment, on the 3rd and 4th and inspected procedures for evaluating its operational performance.
On the 3rd, Kim Jong Un boarded Choi Hyun-ho and watched training on ship operations by North Korean sailors, as well as tests evaluating the ship's performance and combat capabilities. Jo Chun-ryong, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, First Deputy Department Director Kim Jong-sik, and Commander of the Korean People's Navy Pak Kwang-sub accompanied him. Kim stated that two surface combatants of the same or higher class than Choi Hyun-ho will be built every year during the new Five-Year National Defense Development Plan.
Kim said, "The nuclear armament of the navy is being carried out satisfactorily," adding, "If there are forces that harbor doubts about our efforts to strengthen our defense capabilities, it means that they are soon to become our enemies." Although he did not name specific countries, his remarks appeared to allude to South Korea and the U.S.
He went on to say, "I firmly believe that the process of implementing the Five-Year National Defense Development Plan will once again transform the structure of our armed forces and enable us to build reliable defense capabilities." He added that the defense of national sovereignty would be guaranteed not by words or writings, but through concrete actions.
Kim Jong Un also observed a test launch of a strategic cruise missile conducted from Choi Hyun-ho on the 4th. He said the test launch of the strategic cruise missile from the destroyer was carried out successfully. On the same day, he inspected construction work at the shipyard on the third Choe Hyon-class destroyer.
Choi Hyun-ho was launched in April last year at Nampo Shipyard as a new 5,000-ton multi-role destroyer. Equipped with a phased array radar and a Vertical Launching System (VLS), it has been described as a "North Korean Aegis" vessel, and there has been speculation about possible Russian technical assistance. Its current test armament is centered on conventional missiles, and further development is needed to enable nuclear payloads. Additional work is under way to allow it to carry a tactical nuclear weapon.
Kim Jong Un also attended shooting competitions held in conjunction with Snipers' Day on the 3rd. The competitions for snipers from units at all levels took place on the same day at the Pyongyang No. 60 Training Base under the Capital Defense Corps. Snipers selected from special operations units of each service branch of the Korean People's Army and from each combined large unit took part. Shortly after the conclusion of the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim had presented new sniper rifles to senior North Korean officials.


rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter