North Korea’s Kim Monitors Cruise Missile Test from New Warship
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of a nuclear-capable cruise missile and other weapons aboard a new 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon, state media reported on Sunday. The vessel had been repaired after being damaged in a failed launch ceremony last year.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the event on Friday included test-firings of a strategic cruise missile, the ship's main gun, and automatic cannons, as well as trials of its electronic warfare systems and assessments of its target-detection and information-processing capabilities.
After observing the tests from shore, Mr. Kim ordered officials to complete the destroyer's trials and place the vessel in active duty within two months, according to the news agency.
The tests came after North Korea in late June commissioned its first 5,000-ton destroyer, the Choe Hyon, a milestone Mr. Kim marked with a ceremony where he declared that the nuclear armament of his Navy was proceeding as planned.
After years of focusing on ballistic missile development, Mr. Kim has increasingly turned his attention to naval capabilities, including the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine. While outlining his five-year military goals at a party congress in February, Mr. Kim also called for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches.
North Korea first unveiled the Choe Hyon in April 2025, which Mr. Kim portrayed as a major step toward expanding his military's operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities. KCNA has said the warship is equipped with a range of systems, including anti-aircraft and anti-ship weapons as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles.
South Korean officials and experts say the vessel was likely built with Russian assistance amid deepening military ties between the countries, but some analysts have questioned how effective the vessel would be in active service.
The Kang Kon was unveiled a month after the Choe Hyon in May 2025, but it was damaged during a botched launch at the northern port of Chongjin, prompting a furious response from Mr. Kim. The country later said the ship was relaunched in June after repairs, but outside experts have questioned whether it is genuinely ready for active duty.
Mr. Kim has also called for building two new 5,000-ton warships annually over the next five years, as well as developing a larger 10,000-ton destroyer.
