Kim tests new missile amid Iran war

North Korea has tested a new missile amid rising tensions in the Middle East. The country's leader Kim Jong Un personally supervised the test-firing of a strategic cruise missile from a new warship, state media reported.

North Korea's state news agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that a new destroyer weighing about 5,000 tons, "Cho Hyon", launched a sea-to-land missile on Wednesday (March 4). The test was conducted before the ship's official commissioning.

Kim Jong Un described the test as an important part of the new warship's military capabilities. He said that the destroyer will serve as a new symbol of North Korea's naval defense. At the same time, he called for the construction of warships of the same class or more advanced.

In a speech at the Nampo shipyard, Kim said the North Korean navy would be rapidly strengthened and its ability to strike from underwater and far at sea would be further enhanced in the future. He also claimed that work was also progressing to equip the country's navy with nuclear weapons.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea usually uses the term "strategic weapons" to refer to weapons that could have nuclear strike capabilities.

Meanwhile, KCNA also reported that Kim Jong Un inspected the first of the 5,000-ton "Cho Hyon" class destroyers under construction at the Nampo shipyard during a two-day visit. However, an accident occurred during the launching of a similar destroyer in May 2025. It partially capsized and was damaged due to a malfunction in the ship's launching mechanism at the Chongjin shipyard.

Calling the incident a "criminal act," Kim Jong Un blamed the incident on the negligence and irresponsibility of the relevant institutions. According to analysts, the recent missile tests are also being seen as a strategic message to demonstrate North Korea's naval power and potential nuclear capabilities.