The 5,000-ton North Korean destroyer Kang Kon, which toppled sideways at its launch last year, has now test-fired a strategic cruise missile. Kim Jong-un observed the tests in person and ordered the ship delivered to the navy within two months, KCNA reported Sunday.
North Korea's state-run KCNA said Sunday that leader Kim Jong-un observed a strategic cruise missile launch, naval gun and automatic cannon firing, and electronic warfare drills aboard the new destroyer Kang Kon on Friday. According to Chosun Ilbo and other reports, the tests were a comprehensive assessment of the newly built warship's combat systems, covering target detection, information processing and integrated firepower.
광고 문의 · 300×250The Ship That Fell Over at Its Launch
Kang Kon is the second ship of the Choe Hyon class. At its launch ceremony in Chongjin on May 21 last year, the hull toppled sideways. Kim called the accident a 'criminal act,' ordered swift restoration and accountability, and authorities arrested the chief engineer, the construction head and other officials.
The hull was righted within about two weeks, relaunched successfully in June last year, and named after Kang Kon, the Korean People's Army's first chief of general staff killed early in the Korean War. The ship has since undergone repairs and fitting-out at the Rajin dockyard.
Two-Month Deadline and an East Sea Deployment Theory
Kim expressed satisfaction with the results and ordered trials completed and the ship handed to the navy within two months, KCNA said. South Korean defense analysts read the move as pairing the first ship Choe Hyon in the West Sea with Kang Kon in the East Sea to accelerate deployment of maritime nuclear-capable assets.
Kang Kon displaces about 5,000 tons and is estimated at 140 to 145 meters in length, with phased-array radars, 74 vertical launch cells and close-in weapon systems. Analysts believe the larger cells can accommodate both cruise and ballistic missiles.
Questions Remain Over Real Combat Readiness
Outside experts remain cautious. Satellite-imagery analyses as recent as March suggested Kang Kon had been berthed at Chongjin for an extended period and appeared unable to maneuver on its own, so the latest drills may have been conducted at anchor rather than under way.
Publicized weapons tests serve both internal cohesion and external display; whether 'commissioning within two months' equals genuine combat capability is another matter. South Korean and U.S. militaries are tracking developments closely.
A Third Perspective: Facts Side by Side
Korean media focus on the risks of rushing a damaged ship into service; American analysts stress the strategic shift toward larger surface combatants; North Korean media hail a naval-modernization triumph. The Sinophone Bridge Times lays the three views side by side for readers to judge.
