North Korea Debuts Second Choe Hyon–Class Destroyer, Boosting Blue-Water Ambitions
North Korea commissioned its second 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class guided-missile destroyer, Kang Kon (52), at Wonsan in a ceremony attended by Kim Jong Un; the ship follows the lead vessel Choe Hyon (51) and signals Pyongyang’s push toward a blue-water navy, featuring 88 VLS cells, an advanced EW suite and phased-array radars, and a heavy mix of missiles, guns, and torpedo tubes, with two more ships under construction.