North Korea has said leader Kim Jong Un had observed the test-firings of missiles from a recently launched destroyer – the first such warship for the North – and called for accelerating efforts to boost his navy’s nuclear attack capabilities.

North Korea last week unveiled the 5,000-tonne destroyer equipped with what it called the most powerful weapons systems built for a navy vessel. During Friday’s launching ceremony at the western port of Nampo, Kim called the ship’s construction “a breakthrough” in modernising North Korea’s naval forces.

The official Korean Central News Agency said on Wednesday that Kim watched the tests of the destroyer’s supersonic and strategic cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missile, automatic guns and electronic jamming guns earlier this week.

The report said, Kim appreciated the ship’s combination of powerful strike weapons and conventional defences and set tasks to speed the nuclear arming of his navy.

During the ship’s launching ceremony, Kim said the destroyer will be deployed early next year.

Advertisement

He said the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next big step in strengthening his navy.

He underscored the need to beef up North Korea’s deterrence capability to cope with what he called escalating US-led hostilities targeting the North.