North Korea conducts another missile test from new destroyer

by Lee Hugh Posted : March 11, 2026, 10:56Updated : March 11, 2026, 10:56
North Korean leader Kim Jong un right along with his daughter Ju-ae watches a missile test from a new destroyer at an unidentified location in Pyongyang on March 10 2026 in this photo released by the state-run North Korean Central News Agency the following day
North Korean leader Kim Jong un (right), along with his daughter Ju-ae, watches a missile test from a new destroyer at an unidentified location in Pyongyang on March 10, 2026, in this photo released by the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency the following day.
SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - North Korea has conducted another test‑firing of strategic cruise missiles from its new destroyer, state media reported on Wednesday.

According to the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), leader Kim Jong‑un observed the test through a monitor the previous day, accompanied by his daughter Ju‑ae.

The test comes less than a week after a similar test conducted at a shipyard in Nampo and also coincides with the annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S., which are currently underway.
 
Missiles are being fired from a new destroyer at an unidentified location in North Korea on March 10 2026 in this photo released by the state-run North Korean Central News Agency the following day
Missiles are being fired from a new destroyer at an unidentified location in North Korea on March 10, 2026, in this photo released by the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency the following day.
KCNA said the missiles from the multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyun flew along the West Sea for roughly 10,000 seconds before hitting their designated targets, with Kim expressing "his great satisfaction over the verified reliability of the national integrated control system of strategic weapons and the superiority of the destroyer's integrated combat system."

Kim was quoted as saying, "The components of our war deterrent are now being included in the very sophisticated operational system in an effective and accelerated manner continuously and the country's nuclear forces have made a switch to the phase of multifaceted operation."

He also vowed to enhance the country's naval capabilities with more warships in the future.

In April last year, North Korea unveiled the Choe Hyon, named after a comrade of its regime founder Kim Il‑sung during his days as a partisan fighter. The 5,000-ton destroyer is believed to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

North Korea is also building another destroyer, which is expected to be completed by early October, in time for the 81st anniversary of the founding of the country's key ruling organ, the Workers' Party of Korea.