North Korea opens inquiry into failed warship launch
The communist leader vowed to try as criminals those responsible for the failure, in which the ship lost its hull and ended up sideways in the water.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting the comprehensive tactical training of the Korean People's Army.
North Korea's attempt to commission its second naval destroyer in less than a month came to nothing after the ship lost its hull and ended up sideways in the water. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called the failure a criminal act and indicated he would punish those responsible.
The country has already launched an investigation into the accident, state media reported Friday, initially considering the damage as "not serious."
The South Korean military—which monitored the failed launch via satellite—said that intelligence authorities from the U.S. and Seoul assessed that North Korea’s “attempted side launch” of the vessel had failed and that the ship ended up listing in the water.
Naval accident with no photos and two versions
However, the North's official media outlet North Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), also said Friday that an "underwater and internal inspection of the warship confirmed that, unlike the initial announcement, no holes were found on the bottom of the warship."
The "serious accident" occurred Wednesday while attempting to launch a new 5,000-ton vessel in Chongjin, a port city on its northeastern coast, KCNA itself reported a day later. As Kim watched, the ship lost its balance as its stern slid down the launch slipway, while the bow failed to lift off the ramp.
North Korea did not release photos of the scene and also did not report whether there were any casualties.
An "inexperienced commando" and Kim's unleashed fury
The communist leader said the incident was a criminal act caused by carelessness, irresponsibility and "unscientific empiricism," which should never happen and could not be tolerated, according to the North Korean news agency.
Kim censured the officials responsible for the accident, which "belittled the dignity and self-respect" of his country, warning that their mistakes would be addressed at a Workers' Party meeting next month, the report said.
He also ordered the destroyer to be restored for the June party meeting, calling the matter a "political issue directly related to the prestige of the state."
North Korea has traditionally concealed from the general public any accidents that could damage the image of its leaders. However in recent years, it has made public some of its failures, admitting to satellite launch mishaps, a building collapse and widespread damage caused by floods and typhoons.
The Choe Hyon, a North Korean ship with Russian assistance
Seoul's military has said that the Choe Hyon (the previous destroyer unveiled by North Korea weeks ago) may have been developed with Russian assistance, possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight Ukraine. Analysts agreed that the warship involved in Wednesday's accident may also have been built with Russian assistance.
The damaged vessel is likely to belong to the same class as the country's first destroyer unveiled last month, which experts described as Pyongyang's largest and most advanced warship to date.
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