Overview
- Kim Jong-un boarded the 5,000-ton Kang Kon for navigation and capability trials on Thursday and ordered the Choe Hyon and Kang Kon to be commissioned as soon as possible.
- State media quoted Kim calling for construction of larger 10,000-ton-class destroyers and the development of unspecified “underwater secret weapons” under a new five-year defence plan.
- North Korean outlets reported Kim also directed an expansion of missile production and pledged an “exponential” growth of nuclear forces at a newly unveiled nuclear materials site.
- Kim Yo-jong published a statement saying North Korea’s nuclear status is “absolutely irreversible,” a message released a day before Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s scheduled June 8–9 visit to Pyongyang.
- Outside analysts note the Kang Kon was repaired after a botched 2025 launch and question whether the ships are fully operational, while regional governments warn the moves deepen security concerns and complicate diplomacy.