North Korea: Can It Really Turn Seoul into a Sea of Fire?

North Korea: Can It Really Turn Seoul into a Sea of Fire?

Pyongyang's bellicose rhetoric has moved from mere bluster to technical backing. The 2025 weapons displays show a qualitative leap in missiles, submarines, and a destroyer no one expected. But is it enough to fulfill the threat?

The Choe Hyon Destroyer Milestone

In April 2025, North Korea conducted the first sea trials of its new multipurpose destroyer "Choe Hyon." Equipped with 32 vertical launch cells for surface-to-air missiles, a 127 mm main gun, and hypersonic strategic cruise missiles, the vessel represents a technological advance that Western analysts had not anticipated. Satellite imagery and state media reports confirm it is not a mock-up. It is a platform with long-range land-attack capability, expanding the conventional threat radius beyond the peninsula.

A Decade of Unstoppable Pogre

North Korea's weapons development is constant. From 2012, when they launched their third satellite (with the Unha-3 rocket, a variant of an intercontinental missile), to the Hwasong-14 missile in 2017, capable of reaching 10,000 km. In 2015 they tested their first SLBM (submarine-launched ballistic missile) and in 2017 a solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile, which can be launched without prior preparation. Add to this the 600 mm multiple rocket launchers with extended range and the 155 mm self-propelled howitzers. The testing cadence suggests an industrialization of the nuclear arsenal.

The Debate on Real Capability

While some argue that North Korea has achieved a credible level of deterrence, others point out that many platforms are adaptations of obsolete designs. For example, the "nuclear attack submarine" is actually an old Soviet Romeo-class modified to carry nuclear weapons, not a true nuclear submarine. Moreover, missile accuracy remains doubtful and the survivability of its fleet is limited. However, the quantitative buildup is overwhelming: the Korean People's Army has more than one million active troops and up to 8.5 million reservists. In the face of an invasion, as some analyses suggest, the option of a massive nuclear attack on Seoul—home to 10 million people—would not be ruled out.

The Geopolitical Context: The Alliance with Russia

One factor that has changed the board is the alignment of objectives between North Korea and Russia. The war in Ukraine has strengthened technical and military cooperation. Pyongyang is said to have sent soldiers and engineers to the Ukrainian front, and in return receives technology that accelerates its program. This strategic alliance multiplies the capacity to pressure the U.S. and its Asian allies.

What's Next: An Inevitable War?

Kim Jong Un has declared that "the time when our enemies could blackmail us with bombs is over." Nuclear counterattack exercises have become routine. However, the cost of war would be catastrophic for both Koreas. The dilemma remains open: the North Korean regime has made deterrence credible, but the path to denuclearization seems, as of today, a mirage.