Overview
- Commercial images from March 12–28 by U.S. firm Vantor, shared by Rep. Yoo Yong-won, show large and floating cranes moving around a third Choe Hyon-class hull at the Nampo shipyard in a fitting‑out phase.
- Separate shots show the first Choe Hyon giving off exhaust and taking on equipment by small crane, which signals engine tests and preparations for deployment.
- Kim Jong-un set October 10 as the deadline for another 5,000‑ton destroyer, and state media identified that day as the target to launch the next vessel.
- The ships are reported to host strategic cruise missiles with ranges up to about 2,500 kilometers, and experts and the lawmaker link the program to nuclear delivery plans, though no independent proof shows a sea‑based nuclear capability.
- The drive continues despite the second ship capsizing during its 2025 launch, as the lawmaker also alleges Russian technical help is speeding North Korea’s naval buildout.