Skip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.Join todayAlready a member? Log inLiam GilliverWednesday 04 November 2026 13:11 GMTState-owned media says the warship is 'incomparably huge' to the destroyer it built last year (Reuters)North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected the construction of a new warship at the Nampho Shipyard as part of efforts to modernise the nation's navy and secure its sea borders.State media described the vessel as “incomparably huge” compared to previous models, with experts identifying it as a 10,000-ton cruiser designed to launch long-range cruise missiles.The warship project forms part of Kim's five-year defence plan, which aims to produce two surface warships each year to expand North Korea's maritime capability.The inspection occurs amid rising tensions between the Koreas, following a landmine explosion in the Demilitarised Zone and the unexplained death of a South Korean soldier near the border.North Korea has also conducted its sixth missile test within two months, firing multiple strategic cruise missiles off its east coast.In fullNorth Korea's Kim Jong Un has got his eyes on a 'huge' warship to 'build a powerful navy'More bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in