Kim Jong-un stood on a cliff top and watched his navy come of age. As the North Korean leader looked on, 10 cruise missiles tore off the deck of the Kang Kon in rapid succession in a display of naval power Pyongyang could once only dream of staging.
Analysts say the weapons test on Friday was no accident of timing – coming just days before Russia and China would begin their Joint Sea 2026 maritime exercise off Qingdao – and North Korea wanted to make sure everyone was watching.
“North Korea is demonstrating its growing naval capabilities, signalling that it is prepared to participate in joint naval drills with China and Russia,” said Lee Il-woo, a defence analyst at the Korea Defence Network think tank.
“In effect, it’s telling Russia and China: ‘Let me join next time’.”
North Korea’s navy used to be a mere afterthought: a poorly equipped coastal force that was largely irrelevant to the great-power contests playing out around it.