PYONGYANG, March 5. /TASS/. North Korea will build two destroyers per year and continue to equip its Navy with nuclear weapons, the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, said during a visit to a shipyard in the coastal city of Nampo where he inspected the trials of the new destroyer Choe Hyon ahead of its commissioning.
"We should build two surface ships of the same or higher class annually during the new five-year plan (2026-2030)," Kim Jong-un remarked, noting that the Choe Choe Hyon’s trials are proceeding successfully.
The head of state emphasized that North Korea has sufficient human and industrial potential for this. "Our Navy’s submarine and surface offensive forces will be sharply expanded. The Navy’s nuclear weapons are being developed satisfactorily," he said. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief added that this is necessary "solely for defense." "If there are forces that fear such a strengthening of our defenses, then that means they are our enemy," he pointed out.
Kim Jong-un boarded the destroyer and inspected the sailors’ training, the ship’s technical parameters, and its operational capabilities. He also observed the ship’s test launch of strategic sea-to-surface cruise missiles and expressed satisfaction that the crew had "impeccably developed their strategic attack capability."
Kim Jong-un also inspected the construction of the third Choe Hyon-class warship.