North Korea commissions second naval destroyer as US, South Korea and Japan hold military exercise

North Korea has put its second naval destroyer into service as Kim Jong Un called for a stronger nuclear deterrent and the United States, South Korea and Japan conducted a trilateral military exercise.

The Kang Kon was commissioned Sunday at a ceremony in the eastern port city of Wonsan attended by Kim and his teenage daughter. North Korean state media showed the girl, whom South Korea’s spy service considers Kim’s likely heir, walking with her father, touring the warship and posing with sailors.

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Concerns of the enemies will be surely deepened.

The Kang Kon and the Choe Hyon, commissioned in June, are both 5,000-ton destroyers. State media said they can carry a range of conventional and nuclear weapons. Experts describe the two ships as North Korea’s largest and most advanced warships and say they were likely built with Russian assistance. North Korea said in July that it had test-fired nuclear-capable cruise missiles from the Kang Kon.

At the ceremony, Kim said the two warships would deepen enemy concerns and allow North Korea to use its nuclear deterrent in a more diversified and practical way. He called for “a powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent” and for the country to strengthen maritime defense and deterrence operations. Kim also said North Korea would unveil another “significant” naval advancement in eight months. Observers said the project could involve his stated goal of acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine.

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We must establish more clearly a powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent, to put into practice the diverse and effective operation of our nuclear combat systems and further strengthen our military activities for maritime defense and war deterrence.