North Korea Commissions Kang Kon Destroyer That Capsized During 2025 Launch

North Korea has commissioned the Kang Kon destroyer into its navy, following its capsizing during an unsuccessful launch attempt last year.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on this.

The commissioning ceremony took place on September 6 at the port of Wonsan on North Korea’s east coast. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the event.

The destroyer is the second Choe Hyon-class warship and is going to join the Korean People’s Navy East Sea Fleet.

Despite being officially commissioned only now, the ship has already been used to demonstrate its combat capabilities. In early July 2026, it carried out a mass missile launch.

In addition to the missile launches, North Korean state media showed the ship’s onboard artillery systems firing.

Accident during launch

In May 2025, during the ceremony to launch the ship from the slipway, the destroyer lost stability and tipped onto its side, damaging its hull.

The accident was captured in satellite imagery. North Korean state media also confirmed it.

Kim Jong Un, who attended the launch ceremony, said the accident was caused by negligence and irresponsibility that could be regarded as a criminal act.

He ordered the ship’s restoration to be completed by the June plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea and those responsible for shortcomings in its design and construction to be held accountable.

Following the failed launch, North Korean authorities arrested four officials, including the chief engineer, construction manager, and project administrative manager. They also detained Ri Hyong-son, a member of the Central Military Commission, whom the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) identified as one of the officials primarily responsible for the accident.

As early as June 2, 2025, satellite imagery captured the ship being raised while in an upright position.

On June 5, the destroyer was successfully launched and sent to a shipyard in Rajin for repairs. On June 8, the ship was moved into a dry dock to complete the restoration work.

Choe Hyon-class destroyers

The 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class warships are multi-purpose missile destroyers of the  Korean People’s Army Navy. They are equipped with two types of vertical launch systems: larger for strike weapons and smaller for air defense missiles. The ships have a total of 74 launch cells.

The ship’s artillery armament includes a 127 mm automatic gun, as well as a close-in weapon system that visually resembles the Soviet 30 mm AK-230 and AK-630 systems.

A North Korean anti-aircraft gun system located at the stern provides the ship’s air defense. Its appearance resembles that of the Russian Pantsir-M.

The anti-ship and strike weapons are housed in transport-launch containers on both sides of the ship. They likely include eight Hwasal-2 cruise missiles capable of engaging moving targets. In addition, each side is equipped with four launchers for a North Korean equivalent of the Spike ER/NLOS missiles.

Militarnyi previously reported that North Korean authorities had instructed shipbuilders to construct a new Choe Hyon-class destroyer within one year.