Kim inspects new warship, stresses naval buildup | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News - NHKニュース

North Korean media say leader Kim Jong Un has inspected the construction of a new warship in the country's west and stressed the need to build up naval power.

The ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on Wednesday that Kim visited the Nampho shipyard on Monday, which is undergoing upgrades for modernization.

The report quoted Kim as saying it is a vital requirement for his country to rapidly strengthen its surface and underwater combat power to defend its national sovereignty.

Kim also reportedly said the new warship under construction will become a combat system possessing operational capabilities that no other country has ever had.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency cited an expert as saying the warship is believed to be a 10,000-ton cruiser, and that it is thought to be the first time that the North has published an image of the vessel.

North Korea deployed two new destroyers this year. At a commissioning ceremony in June, Kim unveiled plans to build two warships of over 5,000 tons annually over the next five years, including a 10,000-ton cruiser.