During the launch ceremony the previous day, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to rapidly strengthen the country's navy by building two destroyers per year to deter aggression, with the third and fourth ships of the new Choe Hyon class planned for 2026.

North Korea says it has repaired its damaged second destroyer and launched it into the water in the presence of leader Kim Jong Un.

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to keep building a more modern navy fleet to enhance the country's maritime power as he attended the launching ceremony for a warship that was repaired after its earlier failed launch,