Seoul, Dec 31 North Korea has launched the construction of what appears to be a 4,000-ton frigate equipped with a vertical launching system, South Korea's military said, as Pyongyang seeks to advance its nuclear and missile weapons.
The assessment came a day after the North's state media released photos of its leader, Kim Jong-un, visiting a shipyard where the new warship is under construction while reporting on a year-end party plenary meeting, reports Yonhap news agency.
"North Korea is building a 4,000-ton frigate at Nampho," a military official said, referring to the North's western port city. "From the size of the vessel, it is assessed to be capable of carrying a (ship-to-ground) missile."
The official, however, noted that it may take up to several years for North Korea to complete the construction of the vessel and more than 10 years for the ship to be deployed for operations.
North Korea's biggest vessel to date is a 1,500-ton frigate fitted with a ship-to-ship missile. It does not carry a vertical launching system.
A South Korean ruling party lawmaker, meanwhile, assessed the vessel to be bigger than the military's analysis.
People Power Party Rep. Yu Yong-weon said the warship seems to be a 5,000-ton frigate resembling a Chinese vessel rather than a Russian frigate, noting that the North first unveiled the bottom section of the vessel in a photo of Kim's on-site inspection in September.
During the visit to the shipyard, Kim was quoted as saying that strengthening the naval force is the "most important matter in firmly defending the maritime sovereignty of the country and stepping up the war preparedness at present."
Yu said the frigate is yet to be equipped with a combat system but raised concerns that it may emerge as a new threat due to its ship-to-surface missile launching capabilities.
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