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The irresistible might of Juche Korea, which is confidently accomplishing the great cause of building a rich country with a strong army in a valiant spirit and with dignity that no one can defy under the ever-victorious leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea, is impressively ushering in a brilliant heyday of the Navy of the DPRK while powerfully raising the anchor for building a maritime power in the 21st century.

The new-type multi-mission destroyer Choe Hyon, born as an aggregate of self-reliant defence technology and a new symbol of the country’s sea defence capability, came to be formally commissioned into the Navy of the Korean People's Army after successfully concluding the shakedown for assessing its capability of executing operations in one year and two months.

The commissioning of the powerful battleship, which will sail along the course of defending the sacred maritime sovereignty and national interests of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with an important mission of implementing the national defence strategy of the Party Central Committee and exercising the war deterrent, is a meaningful indication of the radical qualitative strengthening of the Navy of the DPRK with the strongest combat force which has been put on the most powerful and ultra-modern level of the Korean style.

The commissioning ceremony of the destroyer Choe Hyon took place at Nampho Port on June 23.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the DPRK, attended the ceremony.

The venue of the ceremony was filled with ardent reverence for Comrade Kim Jong Un, who provided great strength for defending justice and peace to the Navy of the DPRK defending the core of national sovereignty while energetically guiding the sacred historic cause for the radical growth of the national defence capabilities, and the great emotion and joy of the participants visualizing the bright future of the maritime power.

When Comrade Kim Jong Un arrived at the venue of the commissioning ceremony, where the powerful warship in the new era of the DPRK was at anchor imposingly, amid the playing of the welcome music, the participants broke into enthusiastic cheers out of their highest tribute and boundless gratitude to him, the great defender of the glorious country and invincible and iron-willed brilliant commander.

The KPA Navy expressed the greatest trust and loyalty to him.

He was greeted courteously by leading officials in the fields of defence and shipbuilding industries and major commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence and the Navy.

Present at the ceremony were members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, other members of the Party central leadership, commanding officers of the KPA large combined units, officers and soldiers of the Navy, officers and men of the destroyer, discharged Navy generals and workers, scientists, technicians and officials in the field of the shipbuilding industry.

The national anthem of the DPRK was played.

Jo Chun Ryong, member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK, made a report on the preparations for the commissioning of the destroyer Choe Hyon.

He noted that the destroyer successfully passed through such procedures as the assessment of performance and combat application of various kinds of weapon systems and overall capability for conducting operations, test-fire, integrated operation test, navigation test for the general assessment of manoeuvrability and military approval certification.

On behalf of the workers and technicians of the Nampho Shipyard, a pivotal base of the warship-building industry in the new era, and other scientists, workers and officials in the field of munitions industry, he courteously reported to Comrade Kim Jong Un on the completion of the preparations for handing over to the KPA Navy the Korean-style state-of-the-art multi-mission destroyer Choe Hyon, a precious product of the Party Central Committee's plan for building the country into an advanced maritime power and of its line on the revolution in the warship-building industry.

He said in an excited tone that the destroyer, the integrated whole of the state economic strength and the total sum and essence of the national defence science and technology and the capability of developing and manufacturing military hardware, is the crystallization of Comrade Kim Jong Un's great idea of self-defence, extraordinary military wisdom, unbounded patriotic enthusiasm and all-round creative ability both in name and in reality.

He expressed the unshakable will and determination of loyalty of all the workers in the munitions industry and defence scientists to successfully carry out the important tasks of the national defence development strategy set forth at the Ninth Congress of the WPK and the Second Plenary Meeting of the Ninth Party Central Committee at any cost and thus substantially and perfectly guarantee the bolstering of the naval force.

Minister of Shipbuilding Kim Kwang Il handed over the warship's delivery document to the KPA Navy.

Comrade Kim Jong Un made a congratulatory speech in commemoration of the commissioning of the destroyer Choe Hyon.

All the participants were deeply impressed by his impassioned speech, which reflected the great ambition to firmly defend the well-being and future of the country and the people by maximizing the strength and dignity of the DPRK and gave them confidence in the steady development of the revolution in the warship-building industry in the new era and the bright prospect of the modern naval force.

When Comrade Kim Jong Un finished his speech, they broke into thunderous cheers of "Hurrah!" out of their boundless reverence, absolute trust and ardent loyalty and the port resounded with them.

Upon authorization, KPA Marshal Pak Jong Chon read out the order of the WPK Central Military Commission on commissioning the destroyer Choe Hyon into the KPA Navy, and handed it to Admiral Pak Kwang Sop, commander of the KPA Navy.

On the order of the WPK Central Military Commission, the destroyer will be commissioned into the West Sea Fleet of the KPA Navy to perform the honourable mission of defending the West Sea of the DPRK and deterring war.

On behalf of the sailors of the destroyer, Navy Captain Choe Kum Chol, captain of the destroyer, made an oath-taking speech.

He expressed his extraordinary pride and honour of being one of the first generation of the Navy in the new era who will steer the latest warship in the ocean to fully demonstrate the might of the country and of being the first person who will experience and verify the total transformation of the Navy in weaponry, tactics and culture. He extended the greatest tribute and heartfelt thanks to Comrade Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un who enabled them to serve in the first warship which will lead a new history of the Navy and gave them the highest honour and matchless courage. He also extended warm thanks and militant salute to the workers in the field of the warship-building industry who are making a heroic effort to transform the Navy, true to the plan of the Party Central Committee.

The captain explained the destroyer's offensive and defensive weapon systems and referred to the sailors' great spiritual strength for combat. He said that once ordered, the destroyer will courageously sail to any operational waters as befits Comrade Kim Jong Un's Navy.

He expressed his firm determination to make the history of the warship, associated with the long-cherished desire of the people and sincerity of the workers in the munitions industry, the one of ardent loyalty and feats and firmly defend the blue and beautiful sea of the country and thus remain boundlessly faithful to the sacred mission given by the Party and the country.

The sailors of the destroyer loudly chanted slogans, reflecting their iron will to glorify through their distinguished military service the standard-bearer position and militant honour as the first warship defending the Party Central Committee, national sovereignty and territorial waters.

Amid the enthusiastic encouragement and cheers of the participants in the ceremony, the sailors of the destroyer got on the warship holding high the glorious ensign.

There took place a ceremony of hoisting the ensign of the destroyer Choe Hyon of the KPA Navy.

The ensign symbolic of the commissioning of the destroyer was hoisted amid the warship whistle and the boom of a nine gun-salute.

Comrade Kim Jong Un got on the destroyer.

The destroyer was full of the great honour and excitement of the sailors who had the greatest honour of having the Supreme Commander on their warship again before the first departure after the commissioning ceremony.

The captain courteously saluted Comrade Kim Jong Un in welcome of him.

Comrade Kim Jong Un met sailors on the bow and stern of the destroyer.

The sailors taking delivery of the warship with a sacred mission and deep trust were awarded a pair of binoculars in the name of Comrade Kim Jong Un.

Upon authorization, KPA Marshal Pak Jong Chon conferred the binoculars on the first vice-captain of the destroyer.

Saying that the first destroyer of the DPRK was to start the fulfilment of the sacred and important mission of reliably defending the maritime sovereignty and interests of the state after enlisting for the Navy in the sea of the country, Comrade Kim Jong Un stated that the destroyer's commissioning of epochal significance in building the armed forces in the new era is clear and compelling proof of the reality in which the strength of the Navy as the core service of the DPRK armed forces is being remarkably boosted.

There will be no change in the constant view of our Party that strength is just the national sovereignty and prestige and that a country can be peaceful and prosperous only when its military muscle is strong, he said, affirming that powerful battleships will advance into the inviolable and beautiful sea of the country one after another to defend its peace and honour and that the security of our state will be further consolidated and the dignity and stamina of the Navy of the DPRK will be more fully displayed through the exercise of the great real ability to control the enemies' threat of aggression.

Expressing belief and expectation that the destroyer Choe Hyon would record only victories in the course of safeguarding the country by creditably inheriting the great spirit, matchless bravery and ever-victorious tradition of the army-founding generation as befitting the battleship named after a veteran general, he had a photograph taken with the sailors, a photo that would go down forever in the history of strengthening and development of the Navy.

All the commanding officers and sailors of the destroyer solemnly pledged before Comrade Kim Jong Un, the country and the people to make their warship the flagship of the matchless fleet controlling the most responsible battlefield for defending the sovereignty of the DPRK with the spiritual strength and matchless combat capability of the heroic Navy, by displaying loyalty and performing feats while following the course set by the Party Central Committee.

Comrade Kim Jong Un got off the warship, met the discharged Navy generals who were invited to the commissioning ceremony and expressed the unshakable plan of the Party Central Committee to further accelerate the development of the naval force associated with their patriotic life.

There took place a departure ceremony of the destroyer Choe Hyon.

All the warships of the Navy staying in harbour raised the code flags of congratulation all at once amid the sounding of the gong of departure of the destroyer.

The participants extended their warmest and enthusiastic congratulations to the destroyer’s sailors, waving their hands.

Comrade Kim Jong Un sent a militant salute to the DPRK's state-of-the-art multi-mission destroyer No. 1, sincerely hoping that it would win fame as an invincible battleship symbolizing the mightiness and invincibility of the heroic people's Navy.

That day, the Navy hosted a reception in commemoration of the commissioning of the destroyer.

The splendid commissioning ceremony of the destroyer marked a solemn start signalling the rapid growth and evolution of the combat force of the DPRK Navy and served as a great event that clearly demonstrated the spirit of stately advance of the powerful country, which is self-reliant in national defence, towards the vast ocean with a grand goal and ideal.