North Korean leader Kim Jong-un boarded the naval destroyer Kang Kon on Thursday to observe its sea trials, state media reported, delivering a pointed signal of military ambition just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to arrive in Pyongyang. The Korean Central News Agency said Kim assessed the 5,000-tonne warship's manoeuvrability and operational condition, calling the development of a nuclear-capable navy the "most important core task" under the ruling party's current five-year defence plan.
Kim declared that the navy must be capable of playing a direct role in the country's nuclear deterrent, able to strike enemies with a "deadly blow" from both above and below the water "at any moment." He called for the commissioning of both the Kang Kon and its sister ship, the Choe Hyon, "as soon as possible," and outlined ambitions for still larger 10,000-tonne destroyers as well as unspecified "underwater secret weapons." His teenage daughter, Ju Ae — whom South Korean officials believe may be being groomed as a future successor — accompanied him during the inspection.
The Kang Kon has had a troubled history. During its initial launch ceremony at Chongjin, a northeastern North Korean port, in May last year, the vessel tipped over and sustained damage — an accident Kim publicly condemned as "absolute carelessness" and "criminal irresponsibility." The ship was transported to the Rajin shipyard, which has a dry dock, for repairs and was officially relaunched in June 2025. Outside analysts have continued to question whether it is fully combat-ready, and some experts have also raised doubts about the real-world effectiveness of both destroyers despite the weapons systems they are reported to carry.
The timing of the inspection is significant. Beijing and Pyongyang confirmed Xi's visit — scheduled for June 8 and 9 — just a day after North Korea separately unveiled what South Korea's military assessed as a new uranium-enrichment facility, with Kim pledging to expand the country's nuclear arsenal "at an exponential rate." Xi's trip comes after he hosted separate summits with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin last month, placing his Pyongyang visit in a broader diplomatic context.
Why this matters: Kim has spent recent years recalibrating his alliances, deepening ties with Moscow by sending thousands of troops to fight in Ukraine and appearing alongside Xi and Putin at a high-profile military parade in Beijing last year. The flurry of military showcases before Xi's arrival suggests Kim is keen to demonstrate an increasingly self-sufficient deterrent posture, even as he seeks to reinforce North Korea's strategic partnerships. Since a 2019 summit with then-U.S. President Trump collapsed over denuclearisation terms, Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear state — a status Kim appears determined to cement on the world stage.