North Korean leader Kim Jong-un onboard the country's first 5,000-ton multipurpose destroyer, the Choe Hyon, sailing in waters near the western coastal city of Nampho, North Korea. Photo by KCNA / EPA
July 2 (Asia Today) -- North Korea's deployment of its new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon could gradually increase the security burden on the South Korea-U.S. alliance, a researcher at a state-run South Korean think tank said Thursday.
Pyongyang is seeking to add two Choe Hyon-class destroyers to its fleet each year, highlighting the need for the allies to develop countermeasures.
Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said in a recent report that the destroyer's deployment could eventually restrict allied naval movements and the arrival of U.S. reinforcements.
The report, titled "The Commissioning of North Korea's New Multipurpose Destroyer Choe Hyon and Its Strategic Implications," was published June 30.
