North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said a newly commissioned destroyer will become part of the country's nuclear response system, capable of delivering what he described as “annihilating retaliatory strikes”.
The statement was reported by state media KCNA on Monday, although it did not confirm whether the vessel would be equipped with nuclear weapons.
North Korea has accelerated efforts to modernise its navy as Kim continues to expand the country's nuclear-capable military forces.
The 5,000-ton-class destroyer, named “Kang Kon”, entered service during a commissioning ceremony held at the eastern port city of Wonsan on Sunday (6 September).
Kim said deploying the vessel to waters east of the Korean Peninsula sent a clear message to North Korea’s adversaries.
“The time has come for us to exercise our sovereignty at sea and underwater,” Kim said, according to KCNA.
The Kang Kon is the second warship of its class to enter service, following the commissioning of the “Choe Hyon” destroyer on North Korea’s western coast several months earlier.
Kim said North Korea’s naval nuclear capabilities were advancing and that Pyongyang would continue expanding what it called its most powerful strategic assets to defend maritime sovereignty and regional security.
Experts said Kim’s remarks appeared to signal that the destroyers could serve as platforms for nuclear deterrence at sea.
“Kim's remarks are a public declaration that the destroyers will be used as platforms for sea-based nuclear deterrence,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies.
He said the deployment of the Kang Kon to the eastern waters of the peninsula was intended to deter U.S., South Korean and Japanese naval operations in the region.
KCNA did not provide details about the ship’s weapons systems but said it carried the same systems as the Choe Hyon-class destroyer.
A previous North Korean report said the class could carry various weapons, including missiles that analysts believe may be capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Kim’s daughter, known as Ju Ae, played a prominent role during the commissioning ceremony.
KCNA images showed her standing beside her father as they received military salutes, appearing on a large screen above the crowd and boarding the destroyer.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service believes Pyongyang is continuing efforts to position Ju Ae as Kim’s potential successor, according to a South Korean lawmaker.
The announcement came as South Korea, the United States and Japan began their annual “Freedom Edge” military exercise on Monday.
The drills, taking place in international waters south-east and south of Jeju Island, involve major naval and air assets from the three countries.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the exercise aims to strengthen deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
Kim said North Korea would reveal another stage of its naval development within eight months, without providing further details.
Analyst Lim said the timeline could indicate the possible unveiling of another major strategic asset rather than simply another surface warship.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it would closely monitor developments, noting that discussions about arming the North Korean navy with nuclear weapons had intensified following the country’s Ninth Party Congress in February.
Kim also said construction of naval bases on North Korea’s eastern coast was underway and that Pyongyang planned to establish new naval units and develop different classes of warships.
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