North Korea commissions second destroyer as trilateral drill begins
Kim Jong Un and his daughter attended the commissioning of the Kang Kon destroyer in Wonsan, while the United States, South Korea and Japan started a five-day joint exercise.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter attended a ceremony in Wonsan on Sunday to commission the Kang Kon, the country’s second 5,000-ton destroyer. State media said the warship can carry conventional and nuclear weapons and was likely built with Russian assistance. The ceremony included a red-carpet walk and photos of the daughter alongside sailors.
In a speech, Kim said the addition of the two destroyers would strengthen the nation’s maritime defense and nuclear deterrent. > "Concerns of the enemies will be surely deepened," he said, adding that a more reliable nuclear war deterrent was needed to diversify and improve the operation of nuclear combat systems.
Experts noted that the new destroyers could enhance both offensive and defensive capabilities and that North Korea has indicated a further naval project, possibly a nuclear-powered submarine, is planned for later next year.
Meanwhile, the United States, South Korea and Japan launched the five-day Freedom Edge exercise in the waters off Jeju Island, describing it as a defensive drill aimed at improving joint response to North Korean nuclear threats. North Korea’s foreign ministry criticised the exercise as evidence of a confrontational U.S. posture, and the regime later fired short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea in response.