North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to build a blue-water navy to counter what he described as growing threats from the United States, an ambition that observers say appears to be linked to broader strategic coordination with key Pyongyang allies China and Russia.
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Kim made the announcement during a launch ceremony at the northeastern port of Rajin for a newly repaired warship, following an earlier failed launch at the same location, state media reported on Friday.
The vessel, “Kang Kon”, is the second 5,000-ton multi-mission destroyer North Korea has launched this year, following the Choe Hyon, unveiled in April. It is named after the leader of anti-Japanese guerrillas who fought alongside Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea.
In his speech, Kim called for strengthening North Korea’s maritime military presence in the Pacific Ocean, citing “provocations” by the US and its allies, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim declared that as North Korea’s naval power expanded its territorial seas into the open ocean, the country’s enemies would inevitably retreat. “The proud status of our heroic and battle-ready Navy will not only be demonstrated in our coastal waters but across the vast oceans of the world,” he said.
Kim insisted the naval build-up was a “justified response” to perceived threats from Washington and Seoul, which have intensified joint military exercises and deterrence strategies due to North Korea’s advancing nuclear programme, and warned of “overwhelming military action” in response.