Naval Systems

Kang Kon destroyer

Also known as
  • Choe Hyon-class destroyer
  • Kang Kon
  • Kang Kon (52)
  • DDGHM
  • Choe Hyon-class DDGHM

Kang Kon is North Korea's second Choe Hyon-class guided-missile destroyer, a 5,000-ton warship built at Chongjin, damaged during its first launch attempt, repaired and relaunched at Najin/Rajin, and then observed during June 2026 navigation trials. Open-source reporting treats the hull as a pending Korean People's Navy surface combatant rather than a combat-proven warship, with its final weapons integration and acceptance status still dependent on North Korean state reporting.

Kang Kon destroyer, Guided-missile destroyer, Naval Systems
Image source: Kang Kon destroyer AI reconstruction
Documented Fit-Out

Open-source imagery and reporting give a partial picture of the destroyer after the accident and relaunch. The visible details support a relationship-only profile, but do not show combat employment.

Forward gun

CSIS reported that the 127 mm gun turret had been mounted by the June 12, 2025 Najin launch imagery.

Source: Launching of North Korea's Second Choe Hyon-Class Destroyer.

Missile fit

The VLS hatches were covered in that same imagery, so the cited source did not confirm complete installation.

Source: Launching of North Korea's Second Choe Hyon-Class Destroyer.

Repair route

After the May 21, 2025 failed launch at Chongjin, the hull was moved north for repair and relaunched at Najin/Rajin in June.

Sources: CSIS, USNI, and Yonhap.

Service status

June 2026 reporting placed Kang Kon in navigation or capability tests and described commissioning as pending rather than completed.

Sources: Yonhap and USNI.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
North Korea
Type
Guided-missile destroyer
Service note
Launched and repaired in 2025; observed in navigation trials in 2026
Produced
2025-present
Number built
1 publicly identified hull

Specifications

Displacement
About 5,000 tonnes
Approximate dimensions
About 144 m long and 15-16 m beam for the class
Hull number
52
Shipyard path
Built at Chongjin/Hambuk Shipyard, repaired and relaunched at Najin/Rajin
Gun armament
1 x 127 mm gun turret visible in June 2025 imagery
Vertical launch system
VLS hatches were covered in June 2025 imagery, leaving full installation status unclear
Status
Second Choe Hyon-class destroyer; repaired, relaunched, and observed in June 2026 navigation trials with commissioning still pending in public reporting
Classmate

Kang Kon is the second Choe Hyon-class destroyer, so the first ship in the class is the closest cataloged reference point.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Choe Hyon destroyer, Guided-missile destroyer, Naval SystemsChoe Hyon destroyerFirst-in-class destroyer

CSIS and USNI both identify Kang Kon as the second Choe Hyon-class destroyer, making the Choe Hyon the direct classmate for comparison.

Sources: Launching of North Korea's Second Choe Hyon-Class Destroyer, USNI News: North Korea Commissions First-in-class Destroyer Choe Hyon

Main Gun

The visible bow gun links Kang Kon to the same North Korean 127 mm naval-gun family already cataloged from Choe Hyon reporting.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
127 mm shipboard automatic gun, 127 mm naval gun, Artillery127 mm shipboard automatic gun127 mm naval gun

CSIS reported that Kang Kon's 127 mm gun turret was mounted during the June 2025 Najin launch imagery; the gun remains cataloged as relationship-only because the checked sources identify the mount, not combat use.

Sources: Launching of North Korea's Second Choe Hyon-Class Destroyer

Timeline

Kang Kon destroyer Key Events

  1. Initial launch attempt fails

    The destroyer was reported as suffering a failed launch at Chongjin's Hambuk Shipyard before being moved for repair.

    Sources: Launching of North Korea's Second Choe Hyon-Class Destroyer

  2. Relaunched at Najin

    CSIS imagery showed the Kang Kon launched at the No. 28 Shipyard in Najin after repairs.

    Sources: Launching of North Korea's Second Choe Hyon-Class Destroyer

  3. Sea trials observed

    AP and Yonhap reported that Kim Jong Un boarded Kang Kon during navigation or capability tests after the repaired destroyer returned to the water.

    Sources: North Korean leader Kim showcases new warship ahead of visit by China’s Xi, Yonhap: N. Korea's Kim attends navigation test of Kang Kon destroyer

  4. Lead ship commissioned; Kang Kon pending

    USNI reported that Choe Hyon entered service, while Kang Kon was still slated for commissioning with no disclosed date.

    Sources: USNI News: North Korea Commissions First-in-class Destroyer Choe Hyon

Media

Kang Kon destroyer Videos

Related Weapon Systems
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Type 051B / Luhai-class destroyer, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 051B / Luhai-class destroyerChinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer classThe Type 051B, also called the Luhai class, is a single-ship Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer class built around Shenzhen (DDG 167). Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company built the experimental, modular destroyer as a bridge toward later PLAN surface combatants, and Shenzhen is directly documented in China's 2009 Gulf of Aden counter-piracy escort mission.

Related News

Sources

Launching of North Korea's Second Choe Hyon-Class DestroyerPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports the Kang Kon identification, 5,000-ton class, second Choe Hyon-class destroyer status, launch failure and repair timeline, Chongjin and Najin shipyard context, and the visible 127 mm gun and VLS details. | Accessed: 2026-07-04North Korean leader Kim showcases new warship ahead of visit by China’s XiPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports the June 2026 sea-trials report for Kang Kon, Kim Jong Un's observation of the repaired destroyer after the failed 2025 launch, and the reported intended anti-aircraft, anti-ship, ballistic-missile, and cruise-missile fit with readiness caveats. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Yonhap: N. Korea's Kim attends navigation test of Kang Kon destroyerPublisher: Yonhap News Agency | Note: Supports the June 4, 2026 navigation-test report, Kim Jong Un boarding Kang Kon to assess maneuvering and operational condition, the order to commission Choe Hyon and Kang Kon as soon as possible, and the Chongjin-to-Rajin repair path. | Accessed: 2026-07-04USNI News: North Korea Refloats Destroyer After Failed Launch in MayPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports Kang Kon's hull number 52, the 5,000-ton description, the May 2025 failed launch at Chongjin, the relaunch at Rajin, and the stated plan for mid-2026 delivery after weapon integration and trials. | Accessed: 2026-07-04USNI News: North Korea Commissions First-in-class Destroyer Choe HyonPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports Choe Hyon's June 2026 commissioning and clarifies that Kang Kon was still slated for future commissioning with no date disclosed. | Accessed: 2026-07-0438 North: North Korea's Failed Ship LaunchPublisher: 38 North | Note: Supports class-level dimensions, the Chongjin launch method and accident context, and the broader shipbuilding and naval-modernization context for the two Choe Hyon-class hulls. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Kang Kon destroyer AI reconstructionPublisher: ChatGPT | Note: Image disclosure: the lead catalog image is an AI reconstruction of the real Kang Kon destroyer, not an unmodified documentary photograph. | Accessed: 2026-07-04