North Korea sends warships as Kim looks for nuclear weapons | Stories about Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to equip his army with nuclear weapons and build a large warship, signaling Pyongyang’s willingness to expand its military capabilities despite international sanctions.

State media said Kim made the announcement on Tuesday at the launch of the 5,000-tonne Choe Hyon warship in the western city of Nampho, describing the ship’s nuclear weapons as a “good way” for the country’s military to be ready to “operate in a diverse and efficient manner”.

North Korea says the Choe Hyon has its “most powerful weapons,” and Kim has previously overseen missile tests from the ship. He also promised that he would soon send another large destroyer, the Kang Kon, and start introducing “warships of war” weighing 10,000 tons – a size that would reduce the gap between the South Korean navy and bring the North between the US and South Korea.

Pyongyang, which calls itself a “non-nuclear” nuclear state, plans the construction as a deterrent to Washington and Seoul. The Korean peninsula remains at war, and Kim has accused his allies of driving the region “to the brink of nuclear war”.