North Korea assigns second Choe Hyon-class destroyer to nuclear retaliation role

North Korea's first Choe Hyon-class destroyer, carrying out a ripple launch of sea-to-surface strategic cruise missiles from the destroyer in March 2026. The country commissioned the second vessel in the class on 6 September 2026. (KCNA VIA KNS / AFP via Getty Images)

North Korea has commissioned its second Choe Hyon-class guided-missile destroyer and formally assigned the vessel a role within the country's nuclear retaliation framework.

The destroyer, Kang Kon , was commissioned on 6 September at Wonsan on North Korea's east coast, the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the following day.

During the ceremony, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un described the 5,000-tonne warship as a component of the state's nuclear retaliation architecture and said it should be capable of delivering a “deadly retaliatory strike” against adversaries.

KCNA reported that the vessel will serve with the East Sea Fleet and undertake missions related to defending North Korea's maritime sovereignty.

The induction of Kang Kon comes less than three months after North Korea commissioned the lead ship of the class, Choe Hyon .

Kang Kon was scheduled to be launched in May 2025 but tipped over during a failed launch attempt that month.

After repairs in a dry dock, the vessel was relaunched in June 2025. It began sea trials in June 2026 and conducted weapons tests the following month.

In July 2026, state media released imagery showing the ship firing several weapon types, including a strategic cruise missile, anti-aircraft weapons, and other guided munitions, during acceptance and combat-system trials.

In one image, Kang Kon appears to have cold-launched a Hwasal-2 land-attack cruise missile from an amidships vertical launch system (VLS) cell.