Kim Jong Un Oversees Sea Trials of Repaired Destroyer Kang Kon During Naval Expansion Push

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed sea trials of the 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon on Thursday as the vessel underwent capability tests at sea, state media reported Saturday. Photos released by the Korean Central News Agency showed Kim accompanied by his teenage daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae. South Korean officials say she may be being groomed as his successor.

Kim called for “rapidly developing” naval forces capable of playing a larger role in the country’s nuclear deterrent and dealing a “deadly blow at the enemy any moment under the water or on the water,” KCNA reported. He said the navy is a key focus of a new five-year defense plan approved at a ruling party congress this year.

The plan includes building larger 10,000-ton-class destroyers and developing unspecified “underwater secret weapons,” according to the agency.

Kang Kon is the second of two destroyers North Korea unveiled last year, following the Choe Hyon. State media said the ships are designed to carry antiaircraft weapons, anti-ship weapons, nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, and nuclear-capable cruise missiles. The vessel was damaged during a botched launching ceremony in May 2025 at the northeastern port of Chongjin.

North Korea said Kang Kon was relaunched last June after repair. Kim has called for building two more 5,000-ton-class destroyers. The KCNA report came a day after North Korean and Chinese state media confirmed that Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on Monday.

The announcement followed North Korea’s unveiling of what South Korea’s military assessed as a new uranium-enrichment facility. ” In recent years, Kim has prioritized relations with Russia by sending troops and military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.