Kim Jong-un unveils huge nuclear-armed warship as North Korea ramps up WW3 threats

Kim Jong-un has condemned South Korean-US military drills while touring his most advanced warship fitted with nuclear-capable systems. North Korea's leader vowed a rapid expansion of his nuclear forces to counter rivals, state media reported on Tuesday (August 19).

Kim's visit to the western port of Nampo yesterday came as South Korean and US militaries began their annual, large-scale summer exercise to bolster readiness against threats from North Korea. Ulchi Freedom Shield has been described by the allies as defensive.

It will involve 21,000 troops, including 18,000 South Koreans, in computer-simulated command post operations and field training.

Pyongyang has long denounced the two countries' joint drills as invasion rehearsals. Kim has often used them to justify his own sabre-rattling military displays and testing activities, which are aimed at boosting his own nuclear weapons program.

Kim was inspecting the warship Choe Hyon, a 5,000-ton-class destroyer first unveiled in April. North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) reported him as saying the allies' joint military drills showed hostility and their supposed "will to ignite a war".

He claimed the exercises have grown more provocative than before as they include a "nuclear element". The tubby tyrant threatened "proactive and overwhelming" countermeasures in response.

KCNA reported Kim as saying the security environment around North Korea was getting more serious and the situation meant Pyongyang had to make a "radical and swift change" in its military theory and practice along with rapid expansion in its "nuclearisation".

Kang Yu-jung, spokesperson for South Korea's new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, said Seoul has always regarded the Ulchi exercises as defensive but offered no further comment on Kim's remarks.

South Korea's Defence Ministry said it had no immediate new assessments to share on the North Korean warship's capabilities.

South Korean and US military officials say Ulchi Freedom Shield will focus on countering North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threat. The exercise will also include lessons from current and recent conflicts, including Russia's war in Ukraine and the clash between Israel and Iran.

Kim has hailed the development of Choe Hyon as a significant advance towards his goal of expanding the operational range and pre-emptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military.

State media said the destroyer, which is being prepared to enter active duty next year, is designed to handle various weapons systems, including ant-iair and anti-naval weapons, as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles.

The North unveiled a second destroyer of the same class in May, but the vessel was damaged during a botched launching ceremony at the northeastern port of Chongjin.

That sparked an angry outburst from Kim, who described the failure as "criminal". The North has said the new destroyer, named Kang Kon, was relaunched in June after repair, but some outside experts have questioned whether the ship is fully operational.

During Monday's visit to Nampo, Kim also reviewed North Korean efforts to complete a third destroyer by October, according to state media. While inspecting Choe Hyon, Kim expressed his satisfaction at the progress of the warship's weapons tests and its integrated operations system.

He said the navy's modernisation and move toward nuclear-capable capabilities were proceeding as planned and he instructed officials to carry out performance tests in October.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have worsened in recent years as Kim sped up his military nuclear program and deepened alignment with Moscow amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

His government has repeatedly dismissed calls by Washington and Seoul to revive negotiations aimed at winding down his nuclear and missile programs, which were derailed in 2019 after a collapsed summit with US President Donald Trump during his first term.

In his latest message to Pyongyang, Lee said he would seek to restore a 2018-inter-Korean military agreement designed to reduce border tensions. He called for North Korea to respond to the South's efforts to rebuild trust and revive talks.

The 2018 military agreement, reached during a brief period of diplomacy between the Koreas, created buffer zones on land and sea and no-fly zones above the border to prevent clashes. But South Korea suspended the deal in 2024, citing tensions over North Korea sending balloons filled with rubbish towards the South.