What Happened During North Korea’s Warship Launch Ceremony?

Seoul, May 22 (NationPress) North Korea reported on Thursday that a "serious accident" transpired the day prior during a ceremony intended for the launch of a new warship, with leader Kim Jong-un condemning it as a "criminal act" that is wholly unacceptable.

The incident occurred on Wednesday at a shipyard in the eastern port city of Chongjin during the launch ceremony for a newly constructed 5,000-ton destroyer, which was attended by the country's leader, as per the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korea attributed the accident to "inexperience in command and operational carelessness", stating that the launch slide of the stern departed prematurely and became stranded while the flatcar failed to move as intended.

Several sections of the vessel's bottom were reported to be "crushed," compromising the balance of the warship, thus preventing the bow from exiting the shipway, as stated in the report.

Kim, who observed the entire incident, remarked, "It was a serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism that exceeds the limits of possibility and cannot be tolerated," according to KCNA.

He mandated that the warship's restoration be "completed unconditionally" before the upcoming plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) scheduled for June, while also providing critical directives for investigating the accident.

Kim stated, "The immediate restoration of the destroyer is not merely a practical issue but a political issue directly related to the authority of the state."

The political bureau of the WPK scheduled the 12th plenary meeting of the party's central committee for late June to assess the performance from the first half of the year and to outline policies for the second half, according to a separate KCNA dispatch.

North Korea did not release any photographs concerning the recent accident.

Given that Kim insisted on the restoration before the June party meeting, a unification ministry official suggested that the extent of the damage is likely not severe and appears to be recoverable.

By employing the term "absolute carelessness," Kim may have aimed to reinforce internal discipline through a stern reprimand, as the incident was prominently featured on the front page of the North's main publication, the Rodong Sinmun.

According to South Korea's military, it appears that North Korea faced difficulties utilizing a side-launching technique.

Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), mentioned during a regular press briefing, "South Korea and US intelligence authorities have been monitoring the movements of a large-sized warship at North's Chongjin port."

Lee assessed, "We believe the side launching was unsuccessful," adding that the destroyer remains partially capsized in the water.

This recent accident coincides with North Korea's intensified efforts to enhance its naval capabilities, having conducted a firing test on a newly built 5,000-ton destroyer mere days following its launch, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

Last month, North Korea introduced the new multipurpose destroyer, designated the Choe Hyon. The government stated that the warship is equipped with supersonic strategic cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, and various other strike capabilities.