North Korea’s newest naval destroyer still appeared docked at a west coast cargo port on Tuesday, despite Pyongyang claiming it had departed for operations a week earlier, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery.

On the east coast, NK Pro also uncovered previously unreported details about where a test of its sister ship took place in early June. 

The two 5,000-ton warships are part of Kim’s stated aim of establishing a navy with a wider regional reach, though he admitted at last week’s ceremony that he has not yet built a naval base capable of hosting them.

WEST COAST — NO. 51 CHOE HYON

North Korea officially deployed the No. 51 Choe Hyon destroyer during a June 23 ceremony at a bulk cargo port in Nampho, located next door to the Nampho Shipyard where the warship was built. 

State media said the ship “departed” the port at the end of the ceremony, suggesting it was starting official operations, while Kim repeatedly emphasized the “speed” of its development and its expanded geographical area of operations.

However, Planet Labs satellite imagery shows that the new destroyer remained docked at the bulk cargo port on June 26, 28 and 30.

This is likely related to Kim’s statement at the ceremony that the navy has “no base” for the ship to go and that projects to build new naval bases are still in the planning stages.

While docked at the cargo port, the ship remains hindered from operating in a crisis situation, because it is still located in Nampho Bay inside the West Sea Barrage. The only way out of the bay is through the barrage’s lock gate, which would likely slow its travel to the open seas. 

Until a proper base is built on the west coast, the Choe Hyon may also move to the Pipha naval base just southwest of Nampho. 

The planned location and size of a “modern” new base on the west coast has not yet been revealed.

EAST COAST — NO. 52 KANG KON 

State media reported that the first public navigation test of North Korea’s other new 5,000-ton destroyer, the No. 52 Kang Kon, took place on the east coast on June 4, but did not reveal its location.

NK Pro has since geolocated photos of the test released by Korean Central Television (KCTV) and found Kim Jong Un had boarded and disembarked the ship at the Mayang Island (Mayang-do) naval base.

The base is located across from Sinpho in South Hamgyong Province, near the factory where North Korea claims its first nuclear-powered missile submarine is currently being built.

A Planet Labs image taken on June 5 appears to confirm the location, showing a ship matching the Kang Kon’s size and appearance — around 140 meters long — docked in the spot identified on the eastern side of the island.

This suggests the destroyer sailed about 275 km south from the Chongjin Shipyard for the test, while possibly pointing to a larger role for the Mayang naval base in the destroyer program until a larger base near Wonsan is finished.

The ship was built at the Chongjin Shipyard and partially capsized during a failed launch there in May 2025. It then spent over two months undergoing repairs at Rajin Shipyard in Rason before returning to Chongjin for further work over the last 10 months.

Planet Labs imagery shows that the Kang Kon returned to Rason after the Mayang test, sailing about 330 km between the locations. A ship matching its appearance was moored at a cargo pier by June 12 and remained there as of June 28, according to the latest clear imagery.

It has yet to move into the dry dock at Rason where the ship was officially launched. 

Kim said during the early June test that it has now “entered the shakedown for assessing its capability of executing operations.” 

Having gone through one long-distance navigation test, it’s likely that weapons tests from the ship will commence in the coming weeks or months.

Edited by David Choi