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6d ago

North Korea Launches Repaired 5,000-Ton Destroyer Kang Kon, Plans Two More

The ceremony followed a May mishap that left the vessel partially submerged, underscoring Pyongyang's drive to bolster maritime defenses against perceived U.S. threats

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C), alongside his daughter, known as Ju-ae, attends the launching ceremony of the 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon at a shipyard in the northeastern city of Rajin on June 12, 2025, 23 days after its first launch attempt, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Image
The launching ceremony of the 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon is under way at a shipyard in the northeastern city of Rajin on June 12, 2025, overseen by leader Kim Jong-un, 23 days after its first launch attempt, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un leads a party meeting on strengthening the military in this handout picture released on May 30, 2025, by the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo

Overview

  • The destroyer Kang Kon, named after a Korean People’s Army general, was brought upright within two weeks of its May accident then set afloat successfully at the Rajin shipyard ceremony attended by Kim Jong-un.
  • Kim Jong-un labeled the May launch failure as an act of “absolute carelessness,” vowing rapid restoration ahead of a key Workers’ Party meeting later this month.
  • The leader revealed that a dockyard manager died in the aftermath of the initial mishap, promising to recognize him as a patriotic martyr.
  • North Korea’s Central Military Commission approved construction of two additional 5,000-ton destroyers next year to counter “provocative intentions” by the United States.
  • Photos showed Kim’s daughter Ju-ae at the event, signaling a shake-up in naval leadership with Pak Kwang-sop replacing Kim Myong-sik as chief navy commander.