North Korea will deploy new artillery guns and commission naval destroyer

North Korea announced plans Friday to deploy new long-range artillery systems capable of striking Seoul this year and commission its first naval destroyer next month, further escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The military developments come as South Korean officials revealed that North Korea’s recently revised constitution has eliminated all references to Korean unification, formalizing leader Kim Jong Un’s declared intent to sever ties with South Korea and establish a permanent two-state arrangement on the peninsula.

During a visit to a munitions factory on Wednesday, Kim inspected the production of 155-mm self-propelled gun-howitzers scheduled for deployment to an artillery unit along the southern border region before year’s end, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The North Korean leader highlighted the weapons’ extended striking range of over 60 kilometers (37 miles), putting Seoul well within their reach. “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 was quoted as saying.

While receiving less international attention than North Korea’s ballistic missile program, artillery poses an immediate threat to South Korea’s capital. Seoul, home to 10 million people, sits just 40 to 50 kilometers (25 to 30 miles) from the heavily fortified border, placing it within range of the new artillery systems.

Kim also announced plans to deploy various operational and tactical missile systems and multiple rocket launcher systems along the border, further enhancing North Korea’s frontline firepower.

In a separate military inspection on Thursday, Kim toured the destroyer Choe Hyon off North Korea’s west coast to review its operational capabilities. Satisfied with the testing progress, he ordered the vessel to be formally commissioned into naval service by mid-June.

The destroyer, unveiled with considerable publicity last year, represents North Korea’s largest and most technologically advanced warship to date. Kim has already ordered the construction of two additional vessels in the same class, signaling his intention to strengthen the country’s naval capabilities. A second destroyer of the same design suffered damage during a failed launching ceremony last year.

KCNA photos from the inspection showed Kim’s teenage daughter accompanying him on the destroyer, the latest in a series of high-profile public appearances alongside her father. South Korea’s intelligence agency suggested last month that she may be positioned as Kim’s heir apparent.

The military developments coincide with significant constitutional changes in North Korea. South Korean officials confirmed Wednesday that the North’s newly revised constitution has abandoned previous commitments to peaceful unification with South Korea and redefined North Korean territory as solely the northern half of the peninsula.

These constitutional changes align with Kim’s January directive to rewrite the country’s foundational document to eliminate the concept of shared statehood with South Korea—a stark departure from his predecessors’ long-held vision of eventual Korean reunification under Pyongyang’s terms.

Kim’s increasingly hostile stance toward South Korea represents a major challenge for Seoul’s government, which has pursued de-escalation measures including the cessation of border propaganda broadcasts.

North Korea has consistently rejected dialogue with both South Korea and the United States since 2019, when Kim’s high-profile nuclear negotiations with then-U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed without an agreement. Instead, Pyongyang has focused on expanding its nuclear and missile arsenals, conducting numerous weapons tests amid growing regional tensions.

The deployment of enhanced artillery systems capable of striking Seoul represents a significant escalation in North Korea’s conventional military threat, complementing its advancing nuclear and missile programs in a comprehensive strategy to strengthen its military posture against perceived external threats.