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Strategic Implications of North Korea’s Expanding Naval Ambitions

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Strategic Implications of North Korea’s Expanding Naval Ambitions
A view of a "new multipurpose destroyer," as per state media KCNA's reports, in Nampo, North Korea, in this handout picture released on April 26, 2025, by the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via Reuters
Jihoon Yu
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Commentary

North Korea’s recent unveiling of the Choe Hyon-class multipurpose destroyer signals a major transformation in its naval strategy, carrying profound and complex implications for regional and global security. The construction of this 5,000-ton warship marks a deliberate departure from Pyongyang’s traditional coastal defense doctrine, historically centered around small, fast attack craft optimized for littoral engagements. Instead, the new platform reflects an ambition to project power across broader maritime domains, signaling a strategic evolution towards an expeditionary, blue-water navy.

Jihoon Yu
Jihoon Yu
Author
Jihoon Yu is a research fellow and the director of external cooperation at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. Jihoon was the member of Task Force for South Korea’s light aircraft carrier project and Jangbogo-III submarine project. He is the main author of the ROK Navy’s “Navy Vision 2045.” His area of expertise includes the ROK-U.S. alliance, the ROK-Europe security cooperation, inter-Korean relations, national security, maritime security, and maritime strategy. He earned his M.A. in National Security Affairs from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and Ph.D. in Political Science from Syracuse University.