North Korea Navy Choe Hyon Commissioned

North Korea commissioned the 5,000-tonne destroyer Choe Hyon (51) at the Nampho shipyard on the country's west coast on 23 June 2026, the largest warship ever operated by the Korean People's Navy and its first guided-missile destroyer. Kim Jong Un attended the ceremony and described the event as opening a new chapter for a service long characterised as the weakest branch of the armed forces. The ship had first put to sea in March 2026 and conducted missile system trials before entering service. State media indicated that a larger cruiser-type vessel is planned to follow.