Overview

• Kim Jong Un and his daughter attended a June 12 ceremony at the Rajin shipyard to relaunch the Kang Kon after it capsized during its initial launch on May 21
• Kim condemned the accident as “criminal negligence,” prompting the detention of four officials and an order to complete repairs before a key late-June party meeting
• The Choe Hyon–class destroyer, armed with supersonic cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles, was restored in about three weeks following its submersion
• The Central Military Commission has approved construction of two additional 5,000-ton destroyers next year in response to what Kim described as hostile actions by the United States and its allies
• Outside analysts and South Korean military officials have questioned whether prolonged seawater exposure may have compromised the warship’s electronic and weapons systems