North Korea’s Kim oversees latest naval weapons tests

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw weapons tests this week of the 5,000-tonne destroyer Kang Kon, including cruise missile launches and “electronic warfare means”, state media reported Sunday.

The naval vessel was notably the one that tipped over last year during its launch ceremony but was later repaired.

The tests took place on Friday, the state-run Korean Central New Agency (KCNA) said, less than two weeks after the commissioning of another 5,000-tonne destroyer, the Choe Hyon.

During that commissioning ceremony, Kim vowed to equip his navy with nuclear weapons and develop new 10,000-tonne warships.

After the weapons test on Friday, Kim “gave an instruction to complete the trial process of the destroyer in a responsible manner and commission it for the Navy within two months”, KCNA said.

Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state since a 2019 summit between Kim and US counterpart Donald Trump in Hanoi collapsed over the scope of denuclearisation and sanctions relief.

North Korea remains technically at war with the South because the neighbours’ 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

The South Korean navy runs more than 10 ships over 5,000 tonnes compared to the North’s two.

While reiterating the need to speed up the North’s “war deterrent”, Kim “affirmed that we will demonstrate through more obvious actions our political will and determination to have absolute power”, KCNA said, without specifying.