North Korea’s Kim orders navy to build 10,000-tonne destroyer: State media

Kim Jong Un has been visiting subject sites earlier a sojourn by China’s Xi Jinping adjacent week

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has ordered his navy to physique a 10,000-tonne destroyer and make concealed underwater weapons, earlier a sojourn by China’s Xi Jinping.

According to the authoritative Rodong Sinmun paper connected Saturday, Kim supervised a naval trial connected Thursday, boarding the 5,000-tonne destroyer Kang Kon and observing different 5,000-tonne warship, the Choe Hyon, arsenic helium continues to sojourn subject and weapons sites earlier Xi’s visit. The Kang Won had partially capsized during a motorboat ceremonial past twelvemonth and had to beryllium repaired.

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On Thursday, Kim had called for an “exponential” enlargement of his country’s atomic arsenal during a sojourn to a recently opened atomic worldly accumulation facility.

Xi volition sojourn Pyongyang from June 8 to 9, the Chinese leader’s 2nd sojourn successful 7 years, arsenic helium looks to bring North Korea, arsenic its lone ceremonial pact ally, backmost into the fold amid its adjacent ties with Russia.

Kim said Pyongyang had to heighten its naval capabilities to deter a atomic onslaught and called for almighty subject capabilities crossed land, oversea and air, Rodong Sinmun reported.

During his vessel inspection, Kim was joined by his daughter, who is believed to beryllium a teen named Ju Ae, according to a photograph released by the authorities quality outlet.

In May 2025, North Korea announced that a 5,000-tonne destroyer had partially capsized during motorboat successful Chongjin port. Kim, who was overseeing the ceremony, condemned the mishap arsenic a “criminal act” that could not beryllium tolerated. Once the vessel was repaired astatine Rajin port, a 2nd launching ceremonial was held the pursuing month, and the vas was named Kang Kon.

Hong Min, a elder expert astatine South Korea’s Institute for National Unification, told the Reuters quality bureau that this was the archetypal clip that North Korea had mentioned a program to physique a 10,000-tonne destroyer.

Hong added that Kim mightiness beryllium looking to showcase his country’s capabilities earlier Xi’s visit.