North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen sea trials of a new warship, repaired after a failed launch last year, and vowed to speed up efforts to build a nuclear fleet, state media reported, citing the Associated Press. He demonstrated the country's expansion of military capabilities days before a visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, BTA reported.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim visited the 5,000-ton destroyer "Kang Gon" on Thursday as the ship underwent combat capability tests. The released photos show him accompanied by the increasingly public daughter of the supreme leader, Kim Ju-e, who South Korean officials say may be preparing to succeed him.
Kim Jong-un called for the "rapid development" of a naval force capable of playing a greater role in the country's nuclear deterrent and delivering "a deadly blow to the enemy at any time - underwater or on the surface," the agency said. He said the navy was a key priority in a new five-year defense plan approved at a party congress earlier this year, which includes building larger 10,000-ton destroyers and developing unspecified "underwater secret weapons." The agency did not report direct comments from Kim about Washington or Seoul amid ongoing tensions over his nuclear ambitions and frozen diplomacy. The news came a day after North Korean and Chinese state media confirmed that Xi would visit North Korea on Monday, another sign of Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with its nuclear-armed neighbor. In recent years, Kim has placed a premium on relations with Russia, including sending troops and military equipment to support Moscow in its war in Ukraine. The Kang Gon is the second of two destroyers that North Korea unveiled last year. Kim has described their development as an important step towards expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of the country's nuclear forces. State media reported that the ships are designed to carry a variety of weapons systems, including anti-aircraft and anti-ship weapons, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles with nuclear potential, although some experts have questioned their effectiveness in real combat conditions.
The Kang Gon was damaged during a botched launching ceremony last May in the northeastern port of Chongjin, prompting a furious response from Kim, who called the failure "criminal." North Korea said the ship was relaunched in June after repairs, but outside analysts doubt it is fully operational, the AP noted.