General NewsNorth Korea's new destroyer fuels Russia support speculation

North Korea's new destroyer fuels Russia support speculation

The South Korean military suspects that North Korea might have received technological or financial support from Russia in building the newly launched destroyer Choe Hyon. Analysts quoted by Newsweek believe it was part of the compensation that Pyongyang provides to Moscow regarding the war in Ukraine.

destroyer Choe Hyon
destroyer Choe Hyon
Images source: © warnews

"Looking at the weapons and equipment that were revealed, we believe that there is a possibility that they received technology, funds or assistance from Russia," stated the spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Li Sung Dzun.

He added that "more detailed analyses" are ongoing, but it already seems almost certain that the Choe Hyon is a vessel capable of being equipped with tactical short-range nuclear missiles.

What do we know about Choe Hyon?

The launch of the new multi-purpose destroyer with a displacement of 5,512 tons, named Choe Hyon in honor of a deceased revolutionary fighter, was announced by the North Korean news agency KCNA on April 25th. A few days later, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the ship's tests, calling for the acceleration of "nuclear armament of the navy."

Analysts quoted by AFP also assess that the vessel may be equipped with tactical short-range nuclear missiles. The regime in Pyongyang claims that the destroyer was built in a record time of about 400 days "exclusively by the forces and using the technology" of North Korea and is expected to enter service at the beginning of next year.

Li Sung Dzun, however, pointed out that in the case of warships, "it takes several years to build, and even after completion, significantly more time is required to achieve operational readiness."

A representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that North Korea’s advancements in weapons development are under constant and careful surveillance.

North Korea is a proven ally of Russia

The American think tank 38 North, which specializes in analyzing the situation in North Korea, based on satellite photos from April 24, stated that the new ship requires further work. The images showed the use of tugs to move the vessel, suggesting it is not yet fully operational.

Last week, "Newsweek" reported, citing a report from the South Korean KIDA (Korea Institute for Defense Analyses), that North Korea's involvement in Russia's war with Ukraine brought it over $20 billion in profits. Analysts note that Pyongyang may be receiving technology in exchange for supplying weapons and deploying its soldiers in the Kursk region in western Russia.

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