North Korea strengthens its naval fleet after 70 years of “stagnation”

Nuclear-capable cruise missiles were launched from the North Korean guided-missile destroyer Kang Geun, which will soon enter service, in the presence of North Korean President Kim Jong Un at the beginning of this July.

This launch came less than two weeks after the Korean Navy launched the destroyer “Choi Hyun”, which has a capacity of 5,000 tons, and is the largest surface warship produced by North Korea domestically.

These two events confirm the indications that Pyongyang is making concerted efforts to strengthen its naval fleet. During the inauguration ceremony of the destroyer Choi Hyun, Kim Jong Un announced that the Korean People’s Navy had entered a “new era” after more than 70 years of “maritime stagnation.”

These developments indicate that North Korea has adjusted the order of its defense priorities, by raising the importance of the Korean People’s Navy. The rapid construction of large warships, the establishment of new naval bases, and the modernization of existing bases are evidence of this shift. If this trend continues, it may destabilize the naval dominance of allies and complicate American nuclear deterrence efforts. This may encourage Pyongyang to act more aggressively, increasing the possibility of a conflict erupting on the Korean Peninsula. However, fortunately, the United States, South Korea, and Japan can still… Addressing this growing threat.

Comparing the North Korean Navy’s turbulent history in the first decade of the 21st century with more recent developments provides evidence of the growing threat and provides insights into how to counter it.

North Korea’s focus on developing its naval forces can be traced back to 2023, when its president indicated his desire to focus more on the growth and modernization of the Korean Navy, to increase its involvement in military strategy and operations.

Three years later in February 2026, during the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim Jong Un revealed his new five-year plan and his future defense priorities. The plan calls for modernizing all military bases, further strengthening the southern border, and modernizing conventional weapons so that they become “world-class.”

In March 2026, the North Korean president stated that his country’s navy needed to build two ships every year, with a size equivalent to or larger than the Choi Hyun, with the goal of reaching at least 12 large combat ships by the early 2030s.

The scope of these goals expanded in June 2026 when Kim Jong-un issued directives to accelerate the design and construction of a new 10,000-ton guided missile cruiser, and the construction of additional naval bases. At the same time, North Korea appears to be expanding the shipyards in Chongjin and Nampo, to facilitate achieving the annual quota set by Kim for shipbuilding.

If gains in military bases and industrial production are sustained and institutionalized, Pyongyang may be able to maintain its current pace of warship production. Deploying a massive surface warfare force could undermine U.S. and South Korean naval control around the Korean peninsula. It would be a major shift from the past, when North Korean navies struggled to build and deploy smaller ships.

Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo should recognize this growing threat and deepen trilateral cooperation to confront it. These efforts should include conducting regular trilateral military exercises that include not only naval and air assets, but also ground forces and integrated command structures. Washington should also maintain a strong US military presence in South Korea, to demonstrate its political will and military ability to deter.

About “The Diplomat”

“The Diplomat”:

. Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo must recognize this growing threat and deepen trilateral cooperation.