North Korea’s Kim says new destroyer will be part of nuclear response system

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that the country's newest 5,000-tonne-class destroyer, the Kang Kon, will be part of a nuclear response system capable of delivering devastating retaliatory strikes, according to state media KCNA. The commissioning of the Kang Kon, which took place in the eastern port city of Wonsan, was described by Kim as a clear signal to North Korea's adversaries, asserting that the nation is exercising its sovereignty at sea and underwater.

The demolition of the Kang Kon, which entered service alongside the Choe Hyon destroyer three months earlier, is part of North Korea's ongoing efforts to modernize its navy and expand the country's nuclear-capable forces. Kim emphasized that North Korea's naval nuclear armaments are advancing, and the country will continue to enhance its most powerful strategic assets in key waters to safeguard its maritime sovereignty and regional security.

While KCNA did not specify the exact weapons systems to be deployed on the Kang Kon, it noted that the vessel shares the same weapons systems as the Choe Hyon-class destroyer, which is capable of carrying missiles potentially capable of carrying a nuclear payload. Kim also mentioned that the construction of naval bases on North Korea's east coast is underway, along with the creation of new naval units and the development of different classes of warships.