North Korea announced on Friday that it will deploy new long-range artillery systems this year capable of striking South Korea's capital region, and will commission its first naval destroyer in the coming weeks. The declaration follows South Korea's report that Pyongyang's newly revised constitution has removed all references to Korean unification, aligning with leader Kim Jong Un's vow to sever ties with the South and establish a two-state system on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim Inspects Munitions Factory
According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Jong Un visited a munitions factory on Wednesday to inspect the production of 155-mm self-propelled gun-howitzers. These weapons are slated for deployment at an artillery unit in the southern border area within this year. KCNA quoted Kim as stating that the striking range of this large-caliber rifled gun exceeds 60 kilometers (37 miles). He remarked that "such a rapid extension of striking range and remarkable improvement of striking capability will provide a great change and advantage in the land operations of our army."
Kim also indicated that various operational and tactical missile systems, along with powerful multiple rocket launcher systems, are scheduled for deployment along the border. While North Korea's artillery systems often receive less international attention than its ballistic missiles, which are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions, the country already maintains a significant number of artillery guns near the border with South Korea. These pose a serious threat to Seoul, a city of 10 million people located just 40 to 50 kilometers (25 to 30 miles) from the border.
Destroyer Commissioning
KCNA reported that on Thursday, Kim boarded the destroyer Choe Hyon to review its maneuverability off North Korea's west coast. He ordered authorities to hand over the ship to the navy in mid-June as scheduled, after confirming that all tests for the destroyer's operational commissioning had progressed smoothly. Photographs released by KCNA showed Kim's teenage daughter accompanying him on the destroyer, marking her latest public appearance with her father. In one image, she stood behind him as he addressed navy sailors; in another, they shared a meal with the crew. South Korea's spy service recently suggested that she could be considered Kim's heir.
The destroyer, unveiled with considerable fanfare last year, is North Korea's largest and most advanced warship. A second destroyer of the same class was later revealed but suffered damage during a botched launching ceremony. Kim has called for the construction of two additional destroyers.
Constitutional Changes and Rising Tensions
Kim's latest military inspections came after South Korea reported on Wednesday that the new North Korean constitution had removed previous commitments to peaceful unification with the South and redefined its territory as solely the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. These changes reflect Kim's increasingly hard-line stance toward South Korea, which he has declared his country's "permanent and most hostile enemy" amid stalled diplomacy and rising tensions over his nuclear ambitions. In January 2024, Kim ordered the rewriting of the constitution to eliminate the concept of shared statehood with South Korea, breaking away from his predecessors' long-held dreams of peacefully achieving a unified Korea on the North's terms.
Kim's vilification of the South represents a significant setback for Seoul's liberal government, which has sought reengagement and taken preemptive steps to ease tensions, including halting propaganda broadcasts along the border. North Korea has shunned dialogue with both South Korea and the United States, focusing instead on expanding its nuclear and missile arsenals since the collapse of Kim's high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with President Donald Trump in 2019.
