North Korea has started construction on two new warships since July, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, as shipyards on both coasts began major upgrades.

Planet Labs imagery shows large hull sections being staged and assembled at the Nampho Shipyard on the west coast since early July and the Chongjin Shipyard on the east coast since mid-August. 

NAMPHO – THE FIRST CRUISER?

It is too early to determine the size of the ships, but it is likely that the one being built at Nampho is the first 10,000-ton cruiser, larger than two 5,000-ton destroyers recently commissioned by the DPRK navy.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said in June that “we should build two surface ships every year whose class is higher than the Choe Hyon [destroyer], including 10,000-ton cruisers.” He previously said two destroyers would be built annually.

The new ship construction at Nampho is taking place at the east end of the shipyard. The country’s first destroyer, the No. 51 Choe Hyon, was built on the opposite end of the complex starting in early 2024 and finished inside a large enclosed shelter, which remains in place. 

It was launched in April 2025 and commissioned in June 2026, but was still docked at a civilian cargo port next to the shipyard as of Sept. 22 because North Korea does not have a naval base equipped to host it. 

Stacks of red material that may be ship hull panels have appeared throughout the complex, including next to the new ship construction site and the old shelter.

State media declared the start of construction on the Nampho Shipyard’s second destroyer in July 2025. Construction may have proceeded out of view and inside the shelter where the first ship was finished, but the status of this project is unclear.

Officials at that July event vowed to launch the shipyard’s second destroyer by Oct. 10, 2026.

This means a launch ceremony could take place in the coming weeks if workers stayed on schedule, followed by work to install equipment and conduct weapons and navigation tests before commissioning it to the navy.

CHONGJIN – LONG AWAITED RESUMPTION

Red ship hull materials have started to be assembled at the Chongjin Shipyard on the northeast coast, Planet Labs imagery shows, but it is also too early to determine the ship’s length.

While state media reported on Nampho starting work on its second destroyer, it has not said the same for Chongjin, and signs of construction on a new ship did not appear until August.

This is likely due to problems related to the shipyard’s botched initial launch of the No. 52 Kang Kon destroyer in May 2025 that left it partially capsized and delayed its completion. 

It was officially launched a month later and commissioned to the navy earlier this month. 

The ship has been stationed at the Mayang Island naval base since the commissioning ceremony, while work has accelerated in recent weeks on a large naval base to host the ship down the coast.

The ship that is now under construction at the Chongjin Shipyard could be its long-planned second destroyer, the fourth of the 5,000-ton class. Or, given the delays caused by the failed launch and subsequent investigation, as well as Kim’s recent emphasis on building larger ships, it might be a 10,000-ton cruiser.

SHIPYARD UPGRADES

Kim Jong Un declared at a Central Military Commission (CMC) meeting in July that the military would accelerate “technical updates for expanding the capacity of shipyards at all levels,” as part of his wider goal of “transforming” the navy’s capabilities.

Now, dozens of blue-roofed structures have appeared since last month at both the Nampho and Chongjin shipyards, Planet Labs imagery shows. These appear to be lodgings for construction workers, signaling fresh efforts to build new facilities and upgrade old ones.

This follows the arrival of a similar workers’ camp at the Rajin Shipyard on the northeast coast earlier this summer, meaning North Korea is now pouring resources into a major nationwide project to improve shipbuilding capabilities as it looks to modernize its navy. 

Construction on new buildings started at Nampho in 2024 and Chongjin last year, but the arrival of hundreds of workers at each site appears to mark a new phase in the projects.

At Nampho, Planet Labs imagery shows efforts to clear land and possibly build a new quay at the east end of the complex, next to where the new ship is being built. 

New manufacturing or assembly buildings are being built at the west end, in front of the main quay, and a pier was recently expanded near there as well.

The new construction at Chongjin could involve resuming work on a large building that stalled soon after starting earlier this year.

New ship construction has yet to begin at Rajin Shipyard, the latest high-resolution imagery  taken on Sept. 20 suggests.

Meanwhile, North Korea recently initiated a project to finish a long-stalled naval base project on the east coast.

Another large construction project to the south of that naval base, as well as one on a west coast island, may also be related to Kim’s instructions at the July CMC meeting to build modern naval bases suitable for new warships and submarines. 

Edited by David Choi