Kim Jong Un personally inspected the testing of strategic cruise missile launches and defense systems on the new 5,000-ton destroyer "Kang Kon," ordering efforts to modernize the navy with nuclear armaments and to commission the ship within two months.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, observed the test firing of strategic cruise missiles and evaluated various weapon systems on the 5,000-ton Kang Kon destroyer, the navy's new warship.
The report stated that the tests took place last Friday (3 July) to assess the combat system's performance aboard the ship. This included checks on target detection, data processing, integrated fire control, anti-surface and anti-submarine weapons, air defense, naval guns, automatic artillery, and electronic warfare systems.
Kim Jong Un received a briefing on the weapons testing plan before personally watching the strategic cruise missile launches and weapons system tests. He praised the progress in weapons development and called for accelerating enhancements to the country's war deterrent and combat capabilities.
The North Korean leader also ordered relevant agencies to efficiently complete the Kang Kon destroyer's tests and to commission the ship into the navy within two months.
The Kang Kon destroyer is in the same class as the Choe Hyon, which entered service at the end of June. North Korea has declared that these two ships will be the main force in a major naval modernization program.
Earlier, Kim Jong Un announced plans to build two destroyers of this class annually for five years, revealed a development program for 10,000-ton warships, and stated intentions to equip the navy with nuclear weapons in the future.
The Kang Kon suffered an accident during its launching ceremony in May 2025, where the ship tilted and partially capsized, causing damage in front of Kim Jong Un. At that time, he criticized the incident as "severe negligence" and "irresponsibility" and ordered prosecution of those responsible. The ship was subsequently repaired and returned to testing.
North Korea's accelerated naval development occurs amid continuous military expansion following the failed 2019 Hanoi summit between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, where disagreements over denuclearization and sanctions relief led to collapse. Pyongyang continues to declare itself an "irreversible nuclear state."
Currently, North and South Korea remain technically at war, as the Korean War (1950-1953) ended only with an armistice, not a peace treaty. South Korea's navy operates more than ten warships of 5,000 tons or larger, while North Korea has only two.
KCNA stated that Kim Jong Un affirmed accelerating the enhancement of "war deterrent capabilities" and demonstrating "political will and determination to decisively maintain superior power" through more concrete measures, though no further details on these measures were disclosed.
Source: AFP /Reuters