North Korean Destroyer Launch Fails in Front of Kim Jong-un, Officials Arrested
A new North Korean warship suffered a major accident during a launch ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported, marking a rare public admission of failure by the secretive, nuclear-armed regime.
The 5,000-ton destroyer capsized on May 21 at the northeastern port of Chongjin after sliding off a flatcar during what was intended to be a showcase naval launch. North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) blamed the mishap on “inexperienced command and operational carelessness,” saying parts of the vessel’s bottom were crushed in the process.
Kim, who personally witnessed the incident, condemned it as a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness” and said it “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse.” He ordered the ship to be restored before the Central Committee’s plenary meeting in June and pledged that the destroyer would still be deployed by early next year.
Satellite imagery confirmed the vessel was left partially submerged, with the stern underwater and the bow resting on the launch ramp. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the ship was “lying on its side in the sea” and confirmed that U.S. and South Korean intelligence agencies were monitoring the situation.
Three officials from the Chongjin shipyard ? the chief engineer, a hull workshop head, and a deputy manager ? were arrested, with analysts warning they could face execution given the regime’s history of harsh punishment for public failures. The launch had been intended as a high-profile demonstration of Kim’s push to modernize the navy following a successful April launch of a similar vessel at Nampo port using a dry dock method. Unlike that event, the Chongjin shipyard used a sideways launch technique not previously employed in North Korea, which analysts say requires precise technical execution that the yard may lack.
Experts believe the destroyer, reportedly built with Russian assistance, represents a growing threat despite North Korea’s naval forces lagging behind South Korea’s, which has 12 destroyers.
The failed launch comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, as Kim accelerates weapons development in response to joint military exercises by the U.S. and its allies, which Pyongyang views as preparation for invasion.
KCNA did not report any casualties from the incident, but salvage operations were underway as of May 25. Kim said the next stage in his naval modernization efforts is the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine.
Luis Apolo Staff Reporter teen/1749001266/1613367592
1. What kind of ship did North Korea try to launch?
2. What did Kim Jong-un say about the accident?
3. When did the ship launch happen?
4. What country helped build the ship?
1. Have you ever seen a big ship before?
2. Do you think Kim Jong-un was angry?
3. Do you want to ride a ship?
4. What would you do if a ship broke?
A new North Korean warship suffered a major accident during a launch ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported, marking a rare public admission of failure by the secretive, nuclear-armed regime.
