SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally watched the test launch of a strategic cruise missile and a series of weapons evaluations aboard the naval destroyer Kang Kon on Friday, according to the country’s state-run media outlet KCNA.
The tests were carried out as part of a formal assessment of the newly constructed warship’s combat readiness. Systems evaluated during the exercise included anti-ship, anti-submarine, and air defense capabilities, along with target-detection technology, information-processing systems, integrated firepower, naval guns, automatic cannons, and electronic warfare equipment, KCNA reported.
Before the live demonstrations, Kim received a briefing on the vessel’s weapons evaluation program, after which he witnessed the strategic cruise missile launch and additional tests firsthand.
According to the report, Kim praised recent progress in weapons development and called on officials to push further efforts to strengthen North Korea’s deterrence and battlefield capabilities.
Kim also issued a directive ordering that trials of the Kang Kon be finished and the destroyer be formally commissioned into the navy within the next two months, KCNA said.
Just last month, North Korea commissioned the 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon and announced intentions to deploy the Kang Kon — a warship of the same class — as part of a wider push to modernize its naval forces.
Kim has previously called for the construction of two warships of that class annually over the next five years, and has also outlined ambitions for larger 10,000-ton vessels.
The Kang Kon itself has a troubled history — the ship underwent repairs last year after it partially capsized during its own launch ceremony.
North Korea has placed growing emphasis on naval expansion in recent years, with Kim describing the navy as the weakest branch of the country’s armed forces and pushing to change that.
