North Korea’s Kim orders navy to build 10,000-tonne destroyer: State media

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has ordered his navy to build a 10,000-tonne destroyer and develop secret underwater weapons, before a visit by China’s Xi Jinping.

According to the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Saturday, Kim supervised a naval test on Thursday, boarding the 5,000-tonne destroyer Kang Kon and observing another 5,000-tonne warship, the Choe Hyon, as he continues to visit military and weapons sites before Xi’s visit. The Kang Won had partially capsized during a launch ceremony last year and had to be repaired.

On Thursday, Kim had called for an “exponential” expansion of his country’s atomic arsenal during a visit to a newly opened nuclear material production facility.

Xi will visit Pyongyang from June 8 to 9, the Chinese leader’s second visit in seven years, as he looks to bring North Korea, as its only formal treaty ally, back into the fold amid its close ties with Russia.

Kim said Pyongyang had to enhance its naval capabilities to deter a nuclear attack and called for powerful military capabilities across land, sea and air, Rodong Sinmun reported.

During his ship inspection, Kim was joined by his daughter, who is believed to be a teenager named Ju Ae, according to a photo released by the state news outlet.

In May 2025, North Korea announced that a 5,000-tonne destroyer had partially capsized during launch in Chongjin port. Kim, who was overseeing the ceremony, condemned the accident as a “criminal act” that could not be tolerated. Once the ship was repaired at Rajin port, a second launching ceremony was held the following month, and the vessel was named Kang Kon.

Hong Min, a senior analyst at South Korea’s Institute for National Unification, told the Reuters news agency that this was the first time that North Korea had mentioned a plan to build a 10,000-tonne destroyer.

Hong added that Kim might be looking to showcase his country’s capabilities before Xi’s visit.