North Korea deploys warship ‘capable of annihilating retaliatory strikes’

Leader Kim Jong Un says vessel will form part of Pyongyang’s nuclear response system, strengthen naval forces.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, attends the commissioning ceremony of the destroyer Kang Kon, at Wonsan Port, North Korea, September 6, 2026 [KCNA/Reuters]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the commissioning of a warship he said could deliver “annihilating retaliatory strikes on an enemy”, citing “constant threats”, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The Kang Kon, named after the North Korean military leader who was killed in action during the Korean War, was formally deployed at a ceremony at the eastern Wonsan Port in Kangwon Province on Sunday.

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In his address, Kim said the warship “represents the self-respect and will” of North Korea to defend its rights and interests, KCNA reported.

“The time has come for us to exercise our sovereignty at sea and under water,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

He said that “dangerous shadows must be erased” and that North Korea was under constant threat in the “sea east of the Korean Peninsula and nearby waters”, KCNA reported.

KCNA did not specify what weapons systems might be deployed on the Kang Kon, but said it has the same weapons systems as the 5,000-tonne warship Choe Hyon launched in June.

A previous KCNA report said Choe Hyon-class destroyers can carry a range of weapons, including missiles that analysts say are capable of carrying a nuclear payload.

The commissioning ceremony of the destroyer ‘Kang Kon’, at Wonsan Port, North Korea, September 6, 2026 [KCNA/Reuters]

Sunday marks the third launch of the Kang Kon; the destroyer partially capsized during the first commissioning in May 2025 before it was repaired and relaunched the following month. It underwent further repairs and sea trials before completing weapons testing in July this year.

Kim said he would demonstrate another stage of North Korea’s naval buildup in eight months, KCNA said, without giving details.

North Korea has accelerated efforts to modernise its navy as Kim pursues a broader expansion of the country’s nuclear-capable forces.

He also said the construction of naval bases on North Korea’s east coast was under way and that the country would create new naval units and build different classes of warships.

Pyongyang, which calls itself an “irreversible” nuclear state, frames the build-up as deterrence against Washington and Seoul. The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war, and Kim has accused the allies of driving the region “to the brink of a nuclear war”.

朝鲜领导人金正恩表示，该舰艇将成为平壤核反应体系的一部分，加强海军力量。

2026年9月6日，朝鲜领导人金正恩携女儿金柱爱出席在朝鲜元山港举行的驱逐舰“康坤”号服役仪式。[朝中社/路透社]

据朝鲜官方通讯社朝中社报道，朝鲜领导人金正恩出席了一艘军舰的服役仪式。他表示，这艘军舰能够对敌人进行“毁灭性报复打击”，并援引了“持续不断的威胁”。

以在朝鲜战争中阵亡的朝鲜军事领导人康坤命名的“康坤”号军舰于周日在江原道东部的元山港举行仪式正式部署。

图1/3：朝鲜为金正恩组建核海军而举行军舰入列仪式

朝鲜官方媒体报道，金正恩下令海军建造1万吨级驱逐舰（共3条，此为第2条）。

朝鲜试射弹道导弹，美韩联合军演接近尾声（共3条，此为第3条）

据朝中社报道，金正恩在讲话中表示，这艘军舰“代表了朝鲜捍卫自身权利和利益的自尊和意志”。

据朝中社报道，金正恩表示：“现在是我们行使海上和水下主权的时候了。”

据朝中社报道，他表示“必须消除危险的阴影”，并称朝鲜在“朝鲜半岛以东海域及附近水域”面临持续的威胁。

朝中社没有具体说明“康昆”号上可能部署了哪些武器系统，但表示它拥有与6月份下水的5000吨级军舰“崔贤”号相同的武器系统。

此前朝中社报道称，崔贤级驱逐舰可携带多种武器，包括分析人士所说的能够携带核弹头的导弹。

2026 年 9 月 6 日在朝鲜元山港举行的“Kang Kon”号驱逐舰入役仪式 [朝中社/路透社]

周日是“康康”号驱逐舰的第三次下水；这艘驱逐舰在2025年5月首次服役时部分倾覆，后经修复于次月重新下水。之后，它又进行了进一步的维修和海上试航，并于今年7月完成了武器测试。

据朝中社报道，金正恩表示将在八个月后展示朝鲜海军建设的又一个阶段，但没有透露细节。

随着金正恩寻求扩大朝鲜拥有核能力的军队规模，朝鲜加快了海军现代化进程。

他还表示，朝鲜东海岸正在建设海军基地，该国将创建新的海军部队，并建造不同级别的军舰。

平壤自称是“不可逆转的”核国家，并将此次军备竞赛视为对华盛顿和首尔的威慑。朝鲜半岛在技术上仍处于战争状态，金正恩指责其盟友将该地区推向“核战争的边缘”。