SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected sea trials of a newly repaired naval vessel and promised to rapidly expand his nuclear-armed maritime forces, according to state media reports Saturday. The military demonstration occurred just before Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to the country.
According to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, Kim visited the 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon on Thursday during capability testing operations. Images distributed by the agency showed him joined by his increasingly visible teenage daughter, who South Korean officials believe may be named Kim Ju Ae and could be preparing for a future leadership role.
Kim Jong Un urged “rapidly developing” maritime forces that could enhance the nation’s nuclear deterrent capabilities and deliver a “deadly blow at the enemy any moment under the water or on the water,” according to KCNA. He described naval expansion as a central component of a new five-year defense strategy endorsed at a ruling party congress this year, which involves constructing larger 10,000-ton-class destroyers and creating unspecified “underwater secret weapons.”
The news agency did not include any direct statements from Kim regarding Washington or Seoul despite ongoing tensions surrounding his nuclear programs and stalled diplomatic efforts. The announcement followed confirmation from North Korean and Chinese state media that Xi would arrive in North Korea on Monday, demonstrating Beijing’s continued efforts to strengthen relationships with its nuclear-armed ally. Recently, Kim has emphasized connections with Russia, particularly by providing troops and military equipment to assist Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine.
Xi’s visit was revealed one day after North Korea displayed what South Korea’s military identified as a new uranium-enrichment facility for nuclear bomb fuel production. During Kim’s visit to the undisclosed location, he promised to grow the country’s nuclear arsenal “at an exponential rate,” which analysts believe demonstrates his goal to solidify North Korea’s nuclear weapons status before Xi’s arrival.
Kang Kon represents the second destroyer North Korea revealed last year, following the Choe Hyon, whose construction Kim praised as significant progress toward extending his nuclear-armed military’s operational reach and preemptive strike abilities. State media reported these vessels are equipped to carry various weapons systems, including anti-aircraft and anti-ship armaments plus nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, although some analysts doubt their combat readiness.
Kang Kon suffered damage during a failed launching ceremony in May last year at the northeastern port of Chongjin, prompting an angry response from Kim, who described the incident as “criminal.” North Korea announced Kang Kon was relaunched in June following repairs, but international experts question whether the vessel is completely operational. Kim has requested construction of two additional 5,000-ton-class destroyers.
