On September 6, 2026, at the port of Wonsan on the eastern coast of North Korea, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un personally commissioned the country's second destroyer, a vessel of approximately five thousand tons displacement named the Kang Gon. According to the North Korean leader, the ship will become part of the state's nuclear response system and must be capable of delivering a "powerful retaliatory strike" against the enemy. The ceremony marking the ship's entry into service took place against the backdrop of an ongoing regional arms race and coincided with the start of joint US, South Korean, and Japanese military exercises.
Ceremony in Wonsan and the leader's daughter's participation
According to reports from several outlets, the ceremony commissioning the destroyer into the fleet was attended, in addition to Kim Jong Un himself, by his daughter. The DPRK leader, dressed in a white shirt, inspected the ship and the surrounding infrastructure, including an open platform with demonstration monitors where he was briefed on the vessel's characteristics. The Kang Gon will join the Eastern Fleet of the DPRK Navy, and its primary mission is stated to be the defense of the country's maritime sovereignty and the strengthening of nuclear deterrence on the eastern coast.
Nuclear deterrence and armament composition
At the same time, DPRK state media did not specify what exact nuclear weapons the new destroyer could be equipped with. It is known that the ship carries weapon systems similar to those of the first destroyer of this class, the Choe Hyn, from which, according to Pyongyang's statements, various types of missiles can be launched, including those potentially capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Thus, the Kang Gon has been formally incorporated into the nuclear deterrence architecture, although its specific combat payload has not been publicly disclosed.
Accelerated pace and construction problems
The second destroyer was commissioned less than three months after the first ship of this class, the Choe Hyn, indicating an acceleration in the deployment of vessels with potential nuclear capabilities on both coasts of the DPRK. The construction of the Kang Gon was accompanied by incidents: during the first attempt to launch the ship in May 2025, the vessel partially capsized, after which it was repaired and successfully launched. In July 2026, tests of strategic cruise missiles and other armaments were conducted from the destroyer, after which Kim Jong Un ordered the ship to be commissioned into the fleet within two months — a directive that was carried out by September 6.
Strategic context and future plans
Kim Jong Un stated that North Korea must transform its fleet into full-fledged nuclear forces, and pledged to continue developing new ships and other strategic weapons. According to him, Pyongyang is working on a large-scale plan to strengthen the navy and will demonstrate a new stage of this program in about eight months. The strengthening of the DPRK's maritime potential is taking place against the backdrop of the start of the five-day Freedom Edge joint exercises of the US, South Korea, and Japan, which launched on September 7 and are aimed, among other things, at countering nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
