Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREESee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ISABELLA MACHIN, REPORTER Published: 14:07 BST, 6 June 2026 | Updated: 14:10 BST, 6 June 2026
Kim Jong Un has vowed to bolster North Korea's defences with a nuclear-powered navy and a new generation of 'secret underwater weapons'. The North Korean leader made the announcement on Thursday while inspecting a new warship, alongside his teenage daughter, believed to be named Jin Ju Ae, ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. State media reported Kim called for the rapid development of naval forces capable of playing a central role in the country's nuclear deterrent. He said the navy must be able to deliver 'a deadly blow at the enemy any moment under the water or on the water'. Kim said strengthening the navy was a core priority of a new five-year defense plan approved earlier this year, which includes building larger 10,000-tonne-class destroyers and developing unspecified 'secret weapons'. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim, while visiting the 5,000-tonne destroyer Kang Kon, did not comment on Washington or Seoul amid persistent tensions over his nuclear ambitions and prolonged freeze in diplomacy. The report came a day after North Korean and Chinese state media confirmed Xi would visit North Korea on Monday, the latest sign of Beijing's intention to strengthen relations with its nuclear-armed neighbour. In recent years, Kim has increasingly aligned North Korea with Russia, providing troops and military equipment to support Moscow's war in Ukraine. Xi's trip was announced just one day after North Korea unveiled what South Korea's military described as a new uranium-enrichment facility capable of producing fuel for nuclear weapons. Kim Jong Un has vowed to bolster North Korea's defences, an announcement made while inspecting a new warship, alongside his teenage daughter, believed to be named Kim Jue Ae Kim and his daughter observed the sea trials of its destroyer 5,000-tonne Kang Kon at an undisclosed location in North Korea Kang Kon is the second of two destroyers North Korea unveiled last year, following the Choe Hyon Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea next week, the latest sign of Beijing's intention to strengthen relations with its nuclear-armed neighbourDuring the visit to the secret location, Kim pledged to expand the country's nuclear forces 'at an exponential rate', a move experts say reflects his wish to cement North Korea's status as a nuclear weapons state ahead of Xi's visit. Kang Kon is the second of two destroyers North Korea unveiled last year, following the Choe Hyon, whose development Kim hailed as a major step towards extending the operational range and pre-emptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military. State media reported the ships are designed to carry a wide range of weapons systems, including anti-aircraft and anti-ship weapons, as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. However, experts have questioned their effectiveness in active duty. Kang Kon was damaged during a botched launch ceremony in May last year at the northeastern port of Chongjin, triggering a furious reaction from Kim, who branded the failure 'criminal'. North Korea later claimed the destroyer was successfully relaunched in June after repair, but international analysts remain sceptical about whether the ship is fully operational. Kim has since called for building of two more 5,000-tonne-class destroyers.
