Kim Jong Un Claims Progress Towards Nuclear-Armed Navy

North Korea has placed the destroyer Choe Hyon into service at Nampo, with leader Kim Jong Un claiming the country is making progress towards building a nuclear-armed navy, according to the Associated Press.

Claims hard to verify

The imagery accompanying the announcement was released by North Korean state media and could not be independently verified, an important caveat in any coverage of Pyongyang's military assertions.

North Korea has repeatedly used high-profile naval and missile events to project strength, though analysts often caution that its stated capabilities can outpace what can be confirmed.

What happens next

Regional powers including South Korea, Japan and the United States are likely to scrutinise the commissioning closely as they assess the pace of Pyongyang's naval ambitions.