:Choe Hyon-class destroyer
{{Short description|Class of North Korean destroyers}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
| sclass = 1 }} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = | Ship caption = }} {{Infobox ship class overview | Builders = Nampo Shipyard | Operators = {{navy|North Korea}} | Class before = | Class after = | Subclasses = | Built range = 2024–present | In commission range = 2025–2025 | Total ships building = 2 | Total ships planned = | Total ships completed = 1 | Total ships cancelled = | Total ships active = | Total ships laid up = 1 | Total ships lost = | Total ships retired = | Total ships scrapped = | Total ships preserved = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship type = Destroyer | Ship displacement = {{cvt|5000|t|LT|lk=on}} | Ship length = {{cvt|144|m|ftin}} | Ship beam = {{cvt|16|m|ftin}} | Ship draught = | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = | Ship range = | Ship complement = | Ship sensors = | Ship EW = | Ship armament = | Ship armour = | Ship aircraft = | Ship aircraft facilities = | Ship notes = }} |
The Choe Hyon-class destroyer ({{Korean|최현급 구축함|崔賢級驅逐艦}}) is a class of guided-missile destroyers of the Korean People's Navy (KPN). The first vessel, the Choe Hyon, was unveiled by the Korean People's Army on 30 December 2024. The second unnamed vessel capsized during launch.
History
On 25 April 2025, the Choe Hyon was launched.{{Cite web |title=North Korea Launches New 5,000-Tonne Warship With "Most Powerful Weapons" |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/choe-hyon-north-korea-kim-jong-un-launches-new-5-000-tonne-warship-with-most-powerful-weapons-8261139 |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=NDTV |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Zwirko |first=Colin |date=2025-04-25 |title=North Korea launches largest new warship, states aim to sail beyond peninsula |url=https://www.nknews.org/2025/04/north-korea-launches-largest-new-warship-on-west-coast-state-media/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=NK News |language=en-US}}
On 21 May during the launching of the second ship at Chongjin, a "serious accident" occurred, damaging the hull in the process.{{Cite web |last=유 |first=민주 |title=뉴스1 - 북한소식 {{!}} 北 "신형 구축함 진수식 중 엄중한 사고 발생"…김정은 "용납 못해" |url=http://nk.news1.kr/news/articles/5790675 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=News1 |language=ko}} Kim Jong Un declared this to be a "criminal act" and that it had "lowered the dignity and self-respect of our state in a moment". He stated that the ship must be restored by the next plenary of the party in June.{{Cite web |title=조선의 소리 |url=http://vok.rep.kp/index.php/revo_de/getDetail/ikn250522001/ko |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=vok.rep.kp}}{{Cite news |date=2025-05-22 |title=Ceremony of Launching Newly-Built Destroyer Takes Place |url=http://kcna.kp/en/article/q/5a28b8c39c4051d3035fe145716fcd30.kcmsf |access-date= |work=Korean Central News Agency}} He also called for those designing the ship to be held responsible.{{Cite web |last=Ng |first=Kelly |date=2025-05-22 |title=Kim Jong Un slams 'serious accident' at warship launch |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c39xzn970pyo.amp |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=BBC News |language=en-gb}} As a result of the failed launch of the second ship, North Korea arrested four officials, including the chief engineer, the construction head and an administrative manager. Ri Hyong-son, a member of the Central Military Commission, was also arrested and deemed to be "largely responsible for the serious accident" according to North Korea's state news agency, KCNA.{{Cite web |last=Ng |first=Kelly |date=2025-05-26|title=North Korea arrests senior official over warship launch failure |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3rr307qyo |access-date=2025-05-26|website=BBC News |language=en-gb}}
Development
=Name=
The lead ship was named after Choe Hyon, a North Korean general who served as a general in the Northeast Counter-Japanese United Army and later became the Minister of the People's Armed Forces of North Korea.{{Cite news |last=Yim |first=Hyunsu |date=26 April 2025 |title=North Korea unveils new 'Kim Jong Un style' 5,000-tonne warship |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korean-leader-kim-attends-ceremony-new-multipurpose-destroyer-kcna-reports-2025-04-26/ |access-date=27 April 2025 |work=Reuters}}{{Cite news |date=2025-04-26 |title=North Korea unveils new 'Kim Jong Un style' 5,000-tonne warship |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/north-korea-unveils-new-kim-jong-un-style-5000-tonne-warship |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923}}
=Design=
It is the first surface vessel in the Korean People's Navy to be equipped with a phased array radar and a vertical launching system.
Ships in the class
| class="sortable wikitable"
!Name !Hull no. !Builder !Laid down !Launched !Commissioned !Status | |
| {{ship|North Korean destroyer|Choe Hyon | 2}}
|51 |rowspan="2" |May 2024 |25 April 2025 | |On trials |
| Unnamed
| |21 May 2025 (first attempt) | |Damaged during launch, capsized,{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/23/north-korea-ship-satellite-images-launch-accident-damage-failure-warship-destroyer |title=Satellite images reveal damage to North Korea warship after ‘criminal’ launch accident |work=The Guardian |date=23 May 2025 |access-date=24 May 2025}} under repair |