North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to secure "absolute power" after witnessing a weapons test, including cruise missile launches and electronic warfare drills, from a newly constructed 5,000-tonne destroyer. The naval vessel, named Kang Kon, was reportedly repaired after it tipped over during its launch ceremony last year.
Kim was pictured on Friday in a wide-brimmed yellow sun hat, observing the tests from a coastal vantage point alongside other officials. State media reported that Kim instructed that the destroyer's trial process be completed responsibly and that it be commissioned for the navy within two months.
This directive to commission the ship could be linked to a significant political anniversary, according to analysts. Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul suggested that the vessel might be commissioned to coincide with North Korea's founding anniversary on September 9. Once operational, the warship is expected to be deployed off the Korean peninsula's eastern coast, focusing initially on nearshore operations.
Pyongyang has repeatedly stated its status as a nuclear state since a 2019 summit between Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump failed to yield progress on denuclearization and sanctions relief. North Korea remains technically at war with South Korea, as their 1950-53 conflict concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The South Korean navy operates a larger fleet of similar-sized vessels, with over 10 ships exceeding 5,000 tonnes compared to North Korea's two.
The recent weapons test follows the commissioning of another 5,000-tonne destroyer, the Choe Hyon, less than two weeks prior. During that ceremony, Kim also pledged to arm the navy with nuclear weapons and develop new 10,000-tonne warships.
Kim reiterated the importance of strengthening the country's "war deterrent" and pledged to demonstrate North Korea's resolve to possess "absolute power."
