North Korea directs navy to construct 10,000-tonne destroyer ahead of Xi visit
The directive follows the repair of the 5,000-tonne Kang Kon and coincides with President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Pyongyang, which analysts suggest may be an effort to showcase military capabilities to North Korea’s only formal treaty ally.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the navy to construct a 10,000-tonne destroyer and develop secret underwater weapons, according to a report published by the official state newspaper Rodong Sinmun. The directive marks the first public mention of such a large vessel by Pyongyang and follows Kim’s inspection of naval vessels, including the repaired 5,000-tonne destroyer Kang Kon and the Choe Hyon.
The announcement coincides with the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pyongyang from June 8 to 9. This trip represents Xi’s second visit to the capital in seven years, aimed at bringing North Korea back into the fold amid its close ties with Russia. Hong Min, a senior analyst at South Korea’s Institute for National Unification, told Reuters that Kim might be looking to showcase his country’s capabilities before the visit.
During a naval test on Thursday, Kim supervised the inspection of the Kang Kon, which had partially capsized during its launch ceremony last year. The vessel required repairs at Rajin port before a second launching ceremony was held. Kim was joined by his daughter, believed to be a teenager named Ju Ae, during the inspection, according to a photo released by state news.
Kim emphasised the need to enhance naval capabilities to deter nuclear attacks and called for powerful military capabilities across land, sea and air. In a separate visit to a nuclear material production facility on the same day, he called for an “exponential” expansion of the atomic arsenal.
The Kang Kon is one of two 5,000-tonne warships inspected by Kim, the other being the Choe Hyon. In May 2025, North Korea announced that a 5,000-tonne destroyer had partially capsized during launch in Chongjin port. Kim, who was overseeing the ceremony, condemned the accident as a “criminal act” that could not be tolerated.
