North Korea Commissions 5,000-Ton Nuclear-Capable Destroyer ‘Kang Kon’

North Korea has put a new 5,000-ton-class destroyer into service, with leader Kim Jong Un saying the warship will be part of the country’s nuclear response system and can carry out “annihilating retaliatory strikes” against an enemy.

The Kang Kon was commissioned on Sunday at Wonsan Port in Kangwon Province on North Korea’s east coast.

The commissioning came a day before the United States, South Korea and Japan were set to begin their five-day Freedom Edge military exercise in waters east and south of South Korea’s Jeju Island.

Kang Kon part of nuclear response system

Kim said the Kang Kon would be part of North Korea’s nuclear response system. He also said the country’s naval nuclear capabilities were advancing.

KCNA did not say whether the Kang Kon would carry nuclear weapons.

However, KCNA said the ship has the same weapons systems as the Choe Hyon, a 5,000-tonne destroyer commissioned on North Korea’s west coast about three months earlier.

An earlier KCNA report said Choe Hyon-class destroyers can carry different weapons, including missiles that analysts say could carry a nuclear payload.

Kim said North Korea would continue to expand its strongest assets in key waters to protect its maritime interests and regional security.

Kang Kon previously capsized

The Kang Kon is the second warship of its class to enter service, after the Choe Hyon.

The destroyer has already gone through several rounds of repairs and testing.

It partially capsized during its first commissioning in May 2025. North Korea repaired the vessel and relaunched it the following month.

It later underwent more repairs and sea trials. The ship completed weapons testing in July this year.

The vessel is named after Kang Kon, a North Korean military leader who was killed during the Korean War.

Kim attended Sunday’s commissioning ceremony. He said the warship represented North Korea’s “self-respect and will” to defend its rights and interests.

Kim’s daughter, known as Ju Ae, also took part in the ceremony.

Kim promises more naval developments

Kim said North Korea would show another stage of its naval buildup in eight months. He did not give details.

Kim also said North Korea was building naval bases on its east coast. He said the country would set up new naval units and build more types of warships.

North Korea has been working to modernise its navy while expanding its nuclear-capable forces.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it would closely watch the developments. It also said North Korea has discussed adding nuclear weapons to its navy since the Ninth Party Congress in February.

North Korea describes itself as an “irreversible” nuclear state. It says its military buildup is meant to deter the United States and South Korea.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war. Kim has accused the United States and its allies of pushing the region “to the brink of a nuclear war”.

References: aljazeera, firstpost