August 19, 2025 | 06:08 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the country’s newest destroyer, Choe Hyon, at the Nampho Shipyard on Monday, August 18, 2025.
North Korea’s state media Rodong Sinmun reported the next day that the inspection coincided with the start of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) joint exercise between the United States and South Korea, which runs until August 25.
Condemnation of Joint Exercise
According to NK News, Kim described the drill as increasingly dangerous, saying it involved military coordination with nuclear elements. He stressed that the situation required a swift response. "The situation demands us to make proactive and extraordinary changes," Kim said.
He also warned of a worsening security environment in North Korea. "The situation demands us to make decisive and swift changes in the existing military theory and practice, as well as the radical expansion of nuclearization," he stated. Kim added that efforts to strengthen national defense would continue.
South Korea’s Response
South Korea’s Unification Ministry said on Tuesday, August 19, that the joint exercise with the United States was purely defensive.
"We once again make clear that there is no intent to attack North Korea or to heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula," said a senior official, as quoted by The Korea Herald.
The statement echoed South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s speech on the 80th anniversary of National Liberation Day on August 15. Lee reaffirmed his commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, while acknowledging that denuclearization was a complex and long-term challenge.
Choi Il, a former South Korean Navy captain who now heads the Submarine Research Institute, said Kim’s inspection of the Choe Hyon destroyer outside of any special occasion signaled political intent.
"Kim Jong-un’s visit to the destroyer Choe Hyon on Aug. 18 — when the vessel was docked and no special event was taking place — clearly reflected a political intention," he said.
Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, noted that the North’s media coverage did not involve missile launches, making it less likely to be read as direct provocation.
Still, he said Kim’s message was significant. "Yet in substance, it conveys a strong message, as it was a visit demonstrating the (North Korean) navy’s nuclear armament and signaling the intent for future force deployment," Hong explained.
Hong added that another key objective was to signal North Korea’s rejection of denuclearization and its unwavering commitment to advancing nuclear weapons ahead of the first summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump on August 25.
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