DPRK commissioned second 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class destroyer named Kang Kon with hull number 52. This involves same ship that had accident and toppled onto its side during launch in late May 2025.
Corresponding photos from acceptance ceremony were published by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). At same time already two months ago North Korea commissioned first destroyer of this class.
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Defense Express notes that thus initial accident could not delay DPRK for long. Ship was commissioned only slightly later than if everything had gone well from first attempt.
Recall both Choe Hyon-class destroyers were laid down in May 2024, so expectedly they should have entered service together, but almost together. Work was conducted in parallel at two shipbuilding plants respectively.
Between launches difference was supposed to be one month, but due to accident turned out to be one and a half months. Now between Choe Hyon and Kang Kon commissioning slightly over 2 months passed. Overall these are two largest ships in DPRK arsenal.
Choe Hyon class has 5,000-ton displacement, 145 m length and 16 m width. Armament consists of 4 launchers of 4 missiles each for anti-ship weapons and 88 vertical launch system cells. The latter are divided by size into larger for strike weapons and smaller for surface-to-air missiles.
This is quite large firepower, which across 2 ships combined exceeds what russian Pacific Fleet surface component can field. However compared to other regional countries this is not as much.
DPRK actively develops its fleet, involving both surface and underwater assets. Currently nuclear submarine construction is underway, technologies for which russia quite likely provided.
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