Kim Jong Un has unveiled North Korea’s new naval warship that is supposedly equipped with nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.
The dictator showed off the destroyer that he says will strengthen his country’s ability to defend itself in the face of perceived aggression from the United States and its allies.
He attended the ship’s launch ceremony at the Port of Nampo on Friday with his daughter and favoured successor Kim Ju Ae, 13.
The development follows news last month that North Korea is constructing a submarine capable of carrying 10 nukes that could be launched at the US.
Kim vowed to "respond decisively to this geopolitical crisis and ongoing developments," according to his speech reported by state news agency KCNA.
Weighing in at 5,000 tonnes, the new "multi-purpose" vessel was touted by Jo Chun Ryong, a secretary in the ruling Workers' Party, as the first in a new class of heavily armed warships.
Having been “built in 400 days”, the warship is designed to operate a range of systems, including anti-air and anti-naval weapons, and is expected to be commissioned into active service next year.
There was no immediate comment from South Korea's military on the revelation of the new ship.
Regional tensions have skyrocketed amid recent efforts by the United States and South Korea to expand joint military exercises.
North Korea also continues to flaunt his nuclear capabilities with its series of tests on cruise and hypersonic missiles.
Kim is also said to have sent around 12,000 troops, including special forces, to support Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
However, some experts have questioned whether North Korea — one of the poorest nations on earth — could develop such advanced capabilities without foreign assistance.
During his first term as US president, Donald Trump unsuccessfully attempted to broker a deal that would have seen US-led sanctions eased in return for denuclearisation.
Since then, Kim has aligned himself more closely with Vladimir Putin and has pledged to develop a broad array of advanced weapons, despite two-thirds of North Korea’s population living below the poverty line.
