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, Sep 6, 2026, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. (Photo: KCNA via REUTERS)
07 Sep 2026 11:17AM
SEOUL: Leader Kim Jong Un vowed to build North Korea's navy into a nuclear-armed force, state media reported Monday (Sep 7) as US allies' maritime drills kicked off.This week's manoeuvres involving Japan, South Korea and the United States were established in 2023 in what officials called an effort to deter Pyongyang's missile and nuclear threats.Kim's comments came at the commissioning of the Kang Kon - a warship that partially capsized when launched in May 2025 - in the port city of Wonsan on Sunday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported."We should make sure that the diversified and effective operation of nuclear combat systems is conducted for an actual war through developing our navy into a nuclear-armed force," Kim reportedly told the ceremony.
"Once ordered anytime, the new-generation destroyer should deal a deadly retaliatory blow at the enemies as it is a force involved in the state nuclear counteraction system," he said.Photos released of Kim showed him accompanied by his daughter, Ju Ae, who is reportedly designated as a successor to her father.Kim oversaw in July a test of the Kang Kon - one of two 5,000-tonne class warships launched last year - just over a year after it was damaged during its launch.
