North Korea’s Kim vows nuclear-armed navy as U.S., allies begin maritime drills
Kim Jong Un has ordered North Korea’s navy to become a “nuclear-armed force,” saying its newest warships must be ready to operate as part of the country’s nuclear retaliation posture. State media reported his comments on Monday as U.S., South Korean and Japanese forces opened a new round of trilateral maritime drills.
Kim spoke Sunday during the commissioning of the Kang Kon, a 5,000-tonne-class destroyer that partially capsized during its launch in May 2025, in the port city of Wonsan, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The vessel is one of two ships of its class launched last year, and KCNA photos showed Kim with his daughter Ju Ae, who has reportedly been designated as her father’s successor.
Kim was quoted as saying North Korea must develop its navy “into a nuclear armed force” and ensure the “diversified and effective operation of nuclear combat systems is conducted for an actual war.” The new-generation destroyer, he said, should deliver a “deadly retaliatory blow” when ordered because it forms part of the state’s nuclear counteraction system.
The allied maneuvers, called Freedom Edge, are set to run through Friday in international waters east and south of South Korea’s Jeju Island. They stem from a 2023 agreement among Washington, Seoul and Tokyo to strengthen combined defenses against North Korea’s missile and nuclear threats.
Kim’s reference to a “nuclear-armed navy” suggests the Kang Kon and similar warships could carry tactical nuclear-capable cruise missiles, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University. Lim added that Kim’s claim that an “important plan” to strengthen the navy would be shown to the world “in eight months” could signal the emergence of a larger strategic asset, such as a submarine capable of carrying submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
Deploying the Kang Kon in the East Sea may also be intended to keep the allied drills and any U.S. nuclear deployments in the area within striking distance, Lim said.
The latest exercises are proceeding even though President Donald Trump has curtailed other joint drills with South Korea as he seeks to restart nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang. North Korea has shown few signs of engaging, continuing to fire missiles and criticizing the smaller exercises, U.S. arms sales to South Korea, and American funding for programs documenting human rights abuses in the North.