North Korea: Kim Jong-un calls naval destroyer accident a ‘criminal act’

(AFP) A serious accident occurred at the launching ceremony of a new North Korean naval destroyer, the country's state-run media said Thursday, whose leader, Kim Jong-un, called it a "criminal act."

At Wednesday's ceremony to unveil the new 5,000-ton ship, "a serious accident occurred" due to "inexperienced command and operational negligence," North Korean news agency KCNA reported.

Kim witnessed the event in the eastern port city of Chongjin and described it as "a criminal act caused by absolute negligence."

The "irresponsible mistakes" of the commanding officers "will be addressed at next month's plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee," he added.

According to KCNA, an error during the launching of the naval destroyer left "some sections of the ship's hull crushed." This "disturbed the balance" of the vessel.

The communist country, subject to U.N. sanctions over its weapons and nuclear program, already unveiled another 5,000-ton destroyer last month.

On that occasion, state media distributed images of the ceremony with Kim and his daughter Ju Ae, considered by many experts as his probable successor.

North Korea assured that the ship was equipped with "the most powerful weapons" and would be ready "to go into action early next year."

Some analysts noted that the ship may be equipped with short-range tactical nuclear missiles, although Pyongyang has not yet demonstrated its ability to miniaturize its warheads.

According to the South Korean military, that destroyer might have been developed with Russian assistance in exchange for the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine.

In recent years, Kim has called for modernizing North Korea's armed forces, including its naval fleet.

In March he visited the facility where they are presumably building a nuclear-powered submarine that, in his words, will "radically" boost its navy.

Previously, Pyongyang also claimed it was developing nuclear-capable submarine drones capable of triggering "a radioactive tsunami," although analysts doubt the country actually has such a weapon.