North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has introduced a new naval destroyer, calling it a major step forward in boosting the reach and preemptive strike power of his nuclear-armed military, according to state media on Saturday.

The country’s official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim was present at the launching ceremony of the 5,000-ton warship on Friday at the western port of Nampo. Kim explained that building up their military strength is a reaction to what he sees as growing threats from the United States and its allies in Asia, who have been increasing joint military drills as tensions rise over North Korea’s nuclear program. He said that getting a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next major move to make his navy stronger. The new multipurpose destroyer, which state media described as the first of a new group of heavily armed warships, is built to carry many types of weapons. These include weapons to fight enemy ships and aircraft, as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, Kim said.

He mentioned that the destroyer will be given to the navy early next year and will start active service soon after. Kim also criticised the United States and South Korea for increasing their joint military exercises and updating their nuclear strategies. He said they were preparing for war and promised to respond firmly to this situation, according to his speech shared by KCNA. South Korea’s military has not yet responded to North Korea’s claims about its new warship. North Korea showed off the new ship just months after revealing, in March, that it was building a nuclear-powered submarine. However, some experts doubt whether North Korea, being poor and mostly cut off from the world, can really develop such advanced technology on its own without help from other countries.

Back in 2021, at a major political meeting, Kim Jong Un promised to build a range of advanced weapons because of what he called growing threats from the United States and its allies. His list included nuclear-powered submarines, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), hypersonic weapons, spy satellites, and missiles with multiple warheads. Since then, North Korea has carried out several tests to try and develop these weapons.

Tensions in the region have grown as Kim continues to show off North Korea’s nuclear strength and sides with Russia in President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine. US President Donald Trump has said he would try to contact Kim again to restart talks, but North Korea has not responded. Although Trump and Kim met three times during Trump's first term, their talks fell apart because they could not agree on how to lift US-led sanctions in exchange for steps toward North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons. Since then, Kim has shifted his foreign policy towards Russia. He has sent weapons and military personnel to help Russia in the war with Ukraine. South Korean officials are worried that, in return, North Korea might get economic support and advanced military technology from Russia, which would help Kim further improve his weapons programs.