North Korea's leader has unveiled a new naval destroyer, calling it a significant step forward in his goal of expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a ceremony for the launch of a "new multipurpose destroyer," state media KCNA reported on Saturday.

The 5,000-tonne warship was equipped with the "most powerful weapons" and built "within 400-odd days perfectly with our own strength and technology," Jo Chun Ryong, a secretary in the ruling Workers' Party, was quoted as saying.

Kim, in a speech from the launch reported by KCNA, said the warship would be handed over to the navy and go into service early next year.

The launch took place on Friday at the military shipbuilding dockyard of Nampho, and marked a new era of the "great Kim Jong Un-style fleet building," KCNA said, quoting Vice-Admiral Pak Kwang Sop. The ship was graded as the "Choe Hyon-class" named after anti-Japanese revolutionary fighter Choe Hyon, the report added./Mehr News