North Korea tests cruise and anti-ship missiles from naval destroyer

SEOUL: North Korea conducted another test of strategic cruise missiles and anti-warship missiles on Sunday as part of operational efficiency trials of its destroyer Choe Hyon, state media KCNA said on Tuesday.

Leader Kim Jong Un observed the ​test alongside senior defence officials and naval commanders, the report said.

Two strategic cruise missiles ​and three anti-warship missiles were fired to check the warship’s integrated weapons command ⁠system, train crews in missile-launch procedures and verify the accuracy and anti-jamming performance of upgraded ​navigation systems, KCNA said.

The cruise missiles flew for about 7,869 to 7,920 seconds and the anti-warship ​missiles for about 1,960 to 1,973 seconds over waters off the country’s western coast, striking their targets with what the report described as ultra-precision accuracy.

KCNA said Kim was briefed the same day on weapons system plans ​for two additional destroyers under construction, indicating preparations for the third and fourth vessels of the Choe ​Hyon class.

Kim said strengthening what he called the country’s nuclear war deterrent remained a top priority, and called ‌for ⁠improving strategic and tactical strike capabilities and rapid-response readiness, the report said.

Pyongyang first test-fired weapons on the 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class warship in April 2025, and in June Kim announced plans to build two additional destroyers in 2026 and commission two ships of the same or a more advanced class annually.

Lim Eul-chul, ​a professor at Kyungnam ​University, said the ⁠reference to a fourth destroyer appeared to be the first official acknowledgment of construction on the vessel beyond earlier announcements.

“The mention of the third ​and fourth destroyers suggests North Korea is accelerating the formation of a ​destroyer flotilla ⁠rather than fielding isolated platforms,” Lim said, adding that faster follow-on production typically follows once initial testing is deemed successful.

Lim said weapons development appeared to be speeding up across multiple fronts as North Korea ⁠seeks to ​exploit global strategic distractions, including the conflicdt in the ​Middle East, to push ahead with irreversible advances in nuclear and delivery capabilities.

The North Korean embassy in Beijing did not ​immediately respond to a request for comment.