SEOUL, June 6 (Yonhap) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended the navigation test of a naval destroyer, state media reported Saturday, calling for strengthening the navy’s combat capabilities and nuclear deterrent.
Kim boarded the Kang Kon destroyer Thursday to assess its maneuvering and operational condition, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
Building a powerful navy capable of “reliably taking charge of a part of the nuclear war deterrent” and striking the enemy “under the water or on the water” was “the most important core task” in the party’s five-year national defense development policy, he said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (3rd from R) visits the naval destroyer Kang Kon and observes its sea trials on June 4, 2026, after the vessel begins operational capability evaluation tests, according to footage aired by Korean Central Television (KCTV) on June 6. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Kim expressed confidence that the navy’s modernization targets under the five-year plan, including the development of “underwater secret weapons” and the construction of 10,000-ton destroyers, would be “surely carried out” by the country’s munitions workers and scientists.
He ordered the Choe Hyon and Kang Kon destroyers to be commissioned “as soon as possible.”
Photos released by the KCNA showed his daughter Ju-ae accompanying him.
The 5,000-ton Kang Kon has had a troubled path to service. The warship tipped over and sustained damage during its initial launch attempt in May last year, promoting Kim to condemn the accident as “absolute carelessness” and “irresponsibility.” He demanded its restoration before a key party meeting in late June.
The vessel was subsequently moved from Chongjin to the Rajin shipyard, which has a dry dock, for repairs. It was officially relaunched in June.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (sitting) visits the naval destroyer Kang Kon and observes its sea trials on June 4, 2026, according to footage aired by Korean Central Television (KCTV) on June 6. His daughter Kim Ju-ae is seen standing behind Kim. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
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