This week, North Korea tested weapons on the destroyer Kang Geun, which weighs 5,000 tons, including launching cruise missiles and using “electronic warfare means,” in the presence of its leader Kim Jong Un and under his supervision, according to what official media reported on Sunday. North Korea is still officially at war with its southern neighbor, given that the war that took place between them between 1950 and 1953 ended with an armistice agreement and not a peace treaty.
Published on: 05/07/2026 - 08:45 Last updated: 05/07/2026 - 10:39
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week supervised weapons tests on the 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kun, which included launching cruise missiles and using various "electronic warfare means" on Sunday.
It is noteworthy that this warship is the same one that partially capsized in the waters last year during its inauguration, before it was later repaired.
The tests were conducted on Friday, according to North Korean Central News Agency, less than two weeks after another destroyer, the Choi Hyun, which also weighs five thousand tons, entered service.
"Having absolute power"
During the inauguration ceremony of Choi Hyun, Kim pledged to provide his navy with nuclear weapons and to develop new warships weighing 10,000 tons.
After testing its weapons on Friday, Kim issued directives to put the destroyer Kang Geun into service in the navy “within two months,” according to the agency.
A photo published by the agency showed Kim surrounded by officials as he monitored the tests from a coastal observation point.
Another photo shows the destroyer Kang Kun launching a missile into the sea, while a cloud of smoke rises from the launch site.
Kim stressed the need to accelerate the pace of strengthening North Korea's "military deterrence," stressing his country's determination to "possess absolute power," according to the agency.
"Kang Geun" was involved in an accident during its inauguration in May last year when it partially overturned and was damaged, in the presence of Kim.
The North Korean leader described the incident as a "criminal act resulting from absolute negligence" and ordered those responsible to be held accountable.
"78th anniversary of the founding of the country"?
Analysts believe that Kim's instructions to launch the ship within two months may be linked to an important political anniversary. “Given North Korea’s political calendar, the most likely scenario is that the ship will be launched in conjunction with the country’s 78th anniversary on September 9,” said Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.
He added that the warship, after entering service, will likely be stationed off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula.
"For now, the focus will likely be on building efficiency in low-risk coastal operations," he said.
Pyongyang has always stressed that it will not give up its nuclear weapons, since the collapse of the Hanoi summit in 2019 between Kim Jong Un and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, due to disagreement over the scope of denuclearization and easing sanctions.
The South Korean Navy operates more than 10 ships with a capacity of more than five thousand tons, compared to only two ships in North Korea.
It is noteworthy that North Korea, the isolated nuclear state, is still officially in a state of war with its southern neighbor, given that the war that took place between them between 1950 and 1953 ended with an armistice agreement and not a peace treaty.
France 24/AFP
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