Kim Tests Nuclear Missiles on Repaired North Korean Destroyer
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- Kim Jong Un supervised Friday's tests aboard the Kang Kon, which included a nuclear-capable strategic cruise missile, the destroyer's main gun, automatic cannons, and electronic warfare and target-detection systems.
- The Kang Kon, a 5,000-ton destroyer unveiled in May 2025, was damaged during a botched launch at the northern port of Chongjin and relaunched in June after repairs; Kim ordered it into active duty within two months.
- The tests follow North Korea's late-June commissioning of its first 5,000-ton destroyer, the Choe Hyon, which Kim called a milestone in nuclear navy armament.
- South Korean officials and experts say the Kang Kon was likely built with Russian assistance amid deepening military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
- Kim's broader naval ambitions include two new 5,000-ton warships annually over five years, a 10,000-ton destroyer, and a nuclear-powered submarine with underwater-launched ICBM capability.
Why it matters: North Korea is rapidly building out a nuclear-armed navy, commissioning a second 5,000-ton destroyer weeks after the first and pushing the repaired Kang Kon into active service within 60 days. South Korean assessments that Russia likely helped construct the vessel underscore deepening Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation that extends Pyongyang's operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities.
