North Korea has commissioned its second Choe Hyon-class guided-missile destroyer, the Kang Kon, more than a year after the warship overturned during a botched launch ceremony that drew an angry rebuke from leader Kim Jong Un.

The vessel entered service at a ceremony in the eastern port city of Wonsan on Sunday, attended by Kim and his daughter. North Korean state media said the 5,000-ton-class destroyer would form part of the country's nuclear response system.

Kim described the ship as part of a broader effort to expand North Korea's naval capabilities and said the country would continue developing strategic assets at sea. Reuters reported that he said the vessel would be capable of delivering what state media described as "annihilating retaliatory strikes".

The commissioning marks the latest stage in the recovery of a warship whose first public appearance ended in embarrassment for Pyongyang.

A launch that went badly wrong

On May 21, 2025, the destroyer suffered a serious accident during its launch at a shipyard in Chongjin, while Kim was present.

The vessel lost its balance during a side-launch manoeuvre and sections of its hull were damaged. South Korean authorities said the ship was left partly on its side in the water.

Kim condemned the incident as a "criminal act" caused by carelessness and irresponsibility, according to state media, and ordered the ship to be restored. The incident was particularly embarrassing because it occurred during a ceremony attended by the North Korean leader himself.

The ship was subsequently repaired and relaunched in June 2025. It later underwent sea trials, including weapons testing, before being formally commissioned this week.

From damaged hull to operational warship

The Kang Kon is the second destroyer of the Choe Hyon class, following the commissioning of the lead ship, Choe Hyon, earlier this year.

The two vessels are among North Korea's largest and most advanced warships. North Korean state media has said they can carry a range of conventional and nuclear-related weapons, while outside assessments have pointed to their missile and radar capabilities.

North Korea has also claimed to have conducted missile tests from the Kang Kon, including the launch of a cruise missile described as nuclear-capable. The country's claims about its weapons systems cannot be independently verified in many cases.

Kim has increasingly focused on naval modernisation after years of prioritising the country's ballistic-missile programme. He said North Korea would build new classes of warships, expand naval units and continue construction of naval bases along its eastern coast.

He also said another major stage in the naval build-up would be revealed within eight months, without providing details. Analysts cited by Reuters said that timetable could point to another major strategic asset rather than simply another surface warship.

The commissioning also coincided with the start of a five-day military exercise involving the United States, South Korea and Japan, adding a wider strategic dimension to Pyongyang's latest naval announcement.