North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen a series of weapons tests involving the 5,000-tonne destroyer Kang Kon, including cruise missile launches and electronic warfare systems, according to state media reports on Sunday.
The tests were carried out on Friday, just weeks after another major warship, the Choe Hyon, officially entered service, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
The Kang Kon destroyer is the same vessel that suffered a major setback last year when it partially capsized during its launch ceremony before being repaired and returned to service.
During Friday’s trials, Kim ordered that the testing process be completed responsibly and directed that the warship be fully commissioned into the navy within two months.
Images released by KCNA showed Kim, wearing a yellow cap, observing the exercises from a coastal position alongside senior officials, while another image captured the vessel firing a missile at sea.
The warship had previously drawn attention after its failed launch in May last year, an incident Kim publicly condemned as a result of “carelessness” and “irresponsibility,” calling for those responsible to be held accountable.
North Korea has since continued to expand its naval ambitions, with Kim previously announcing plans to develop larger 10,000-tonne warships and strengthen nuclear capabilities within its navy.
Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power since the breakdown of talks with the United States in 2019, when negotiations between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump in Hanoi ended without agreement.
The Korean peninsula remains technically in a state of war, as the 1950–53 conflict concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
Military analysts note a significant capability gap remains, with South Korea operating a far larger fleet of large-scale warships compared to the North.
KCNA said Kim also reiterated the need to accelerate the country’s “war deterrent” and expressed determination to demonstrate stronger political resolve in future military developments.
