Satellite images have captured signs that North Korea is simultaneously building new warships at shipyards on both its west and east coasts.
NK News, a US-based outlet specializing in North Korea coverage, analyzed commercial satellite imagery from Planet Labs on Friday and found evidence of warship construction at both the Nampo Shipyard on the west coast and the Chongjin Shipyard on the east coast.
Hull assembly at the Nampo Shipyard appears to have begun around early July. NK News said it was too early to determine the size of the vessel under construction but raised the possibility that it could be a 10,000-ton-class cruiser — a large surface combatant bigger and more heavily armed than a destroyer. If confirmed, it would be the first warship of that class North Korea has ever built.
Kim Jong-un announced plans to build a 10,000-ton-class cruiser at the commissioning ceremony of the 5,000-ton-class destroyer Choe Hyon-ho at Nampo port on June 23.
A launch ceremony at the Nampo Shipyard could come soon. State media reported last year that construction of a second destroyer began there in July, making it the third vessel in the Choe Hyon class. Officials at the time said the ship would be launched by Oct. 10, the anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers' Party. If that schedule holds, a launch ceremony could take place within the next few weeks, NK News said.
At the Chongjin Shipyard on the east coast, construction activity has been detected since mid-August. Satellite images show the start of red hull assembly, though the vessel's size has not yet been determined. NK News said the ship could be a 5,000-ton-class destroyer or one of the 10,000-ton-class cruisers Kim has mentioned. The Chongjin Shipyard is where the second Choe Hyon-class destroyer, Kanggeon, was built.
Both shipyards are also undergoing facility upgrades. Dozens of new buildings with blue roofs have appeared at both sites since last month, which NK News said appear to be worker dormitories. By contrast, satellite imagery taken Sunday showed no signs of new warship construction at the Rajin port shipyard.
North Korea has launched a series of large warships over the past two years. The 5,000-ton-class destroyer Choe Hyon-ho was launched at Nampo last April and deployed to the West Sea Fleet last June, just ahead of the anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. Its sister ship Kanggeon was launched at Chongjin last May but capsized during the ceremony; it was relaunched in June, commissioned at Wonsan port on Sept. 6 and assigned to the East Sea Fleet. At the commissioning ceremony, Kim said "the nuclear arming of our navy is being realized."
The Choe Hyon-class destroyers are assessed to be roughly 140 to 145 meters long and equipped with 127-millimeter (or 130-millimeter) naval guns and Russian-made Pantsir close-in weapon systems, which intercept incoming missiles at short range. The ships also carry dozens of vertical launch system tubes capable of firing strategic cruise missiles that North Korea claims can carry nuclear warheads. Kim also announced in April that construction of a fourth destroyer had begun.
North Korea is also expanding its submarine fleet. In September 2023, it launched the tactical nuclear attack submarine Kim Kun-ok Hero, estimated at around 3,000 tons, at Sinpo. Last December, it unveiled the hull of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine under construction.
At the ninth party congress held earlier this year, North Korea approved a five-year naval modernization plan and has been concentrating resources on it. The plan is reported to call for building two Choe Hyon-class destroyers per year alongside a 10,000-ton-class cruiser.
why37@heraldcorp.com
