North Korea commissions new Kang Gon destroyer with Kim Jong Un in attendance

TOKYO, September 7. /TASS/. The Korean People's Navy commissioned the new Kang Gon destroyer, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter, known in the Western press as Kim Ju Ae, personally attending the ceremony, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

"It is North Korea’s constitutional duty to ensure the multifaceted and effective use of nuclear combat systems as part of the process of arming our Navy with nuclear weapons and to conduct more decisive military operations for maritime defense and war deterrence," the news agency quoted the leader as saying. "The responsible activities and important role of our Navy will strictly limit the actions of aggressive enemies and will most likely force them into a strategic retreat," he added.

The North Korean leader boarded the ship before its maiden voyage. "As a component of the state’s nuclear response system, this new-generation destroyer must deliver a crushing blow to the enemy if ordered," he said.

Kim Jong Un assured that Pyongyang would "deploy the most powerful strategic assets in the most critical waters and demonstrate a principled and responsible readiness to defend the republic’s maritime sovereignty, security in Northeast Asia, and global peace."

The Kang Gon destroyer is the second ship of the Choe Hyon-class destroyers. It possesses "integrated combat capability" and can carry out operational missions in any waters, the Korean Central News Agency noted.