North Korea Commissions Nuclear Capable Destroyer Kang Kon
11 sources across 8 countries · 2 of them are linked to a state
Who reported this
- Kyodo News
- The Japan Times
- Yonhap
- The Korea Herald
- CNN
- Bloomberg
- Infobae
- South China Morning Post
- Al Jazeera
- Daily Maverick
- Reuters
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
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North Korea has commissioned a new 5,000 ton destroyer named the Kang Kon, which leader Kim Jong Un described as part of the state nuclear counteraction system. The commissioning ceremony took place on Sunday in the eastern port city of Wonsan. Kim stated that the vessel is essentially an offensive destroyer intended to deliver deadly retaliatory blows to enemies and serves as a deterrent for maritime sovereignty. This ship is the second of its class to enter service, following the Choe Hyon destroyer commissioned in June for deployment in the Yellow Sea. The Kang Kon will be deployed in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.
The deployment coincides with the start of Freedom Edge, a five day military exercise involving the United States, South Korea, and Japan. While the trilateral allies describe the drills as defensive measures to counter North Korean nuclear and missile threats, North Korean state media has characterized them as war rehearsals. Kim Jong Un announced that North Korea is implementing a plan to further strengthen its naval forces and promised to demonstrate more results in eight months. He has also called for the annual construction of two large warships through 2030, including a 10,000 ton cruiser.
The production of the Kang Kon faced setbacks when the vessel partially capsized during an initial launch attempt in May 2025. It was subsequently repaired, relaunched, and underwent weapons testing in July, which included the firing of strategic cruise missiles. Kim Jong Un attended the Sunday ceremony accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and his daughter, Ju-ae.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets emphasized the rhetoric of annihilation and the broader context of North Korea framing its buildup as a response to constant threats.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the strategic military specifications and the timing of the event relative to trilateral drills.
- Centre-right
- These outlets highlighted the offensive nature of the destroyer and the specific goal of diversifying nuclear combat systems.
Sources
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: North Korea deploys warship ‘capable of annihilating retaliatory strikes’
- Centre Bloomberg: Kim Commissions Second Destroyer to Bolster Nuclear Naval Force
- Centre-left CNN: Nuclear-capable warship that capsized when launched finally joins North Korea’s fleet
- Centre-left Daily Maverick: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un says new destroyer will be part of nuclear response system
- Centre-right Infobae: Pyongyang incorporates a destroyer into its nuclear system amid maneuvers by U.S. allies
- Centre Kyodo News: N. Korea commissions 2nd destroyer as Kim aims for nuclear-armed navy
- Centre Reuters: North Korea's Kim Jong Un says new destroyer part of nuclear response system - Reuters
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: North Korea’s Kim launches second nuclear destroyer as US-South Korea-Japan drills start
- Centre The Japan Times: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un says new destroyer part of nuclear response system
- Centre-right The Korea Herald: N. Korea commissions nuclear-capable naval destroyer Kang Kon
- Centre Yonhap: (LEAD) N. Korea commissions nuclear-capable naval destroyer Kang Kon
- Centre Yonhap: N. Korea commissions nuclear-capable naval destroyer Kang Kon
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.