North Korea has refloated a naval destroyer that capsized last month during a botched launch ceremony attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Repairs on the vessel have now begun at a dockyard in the country's northeast.
Satellite imagery taken Friday by Planet Labs shows the ship fully upright and floating near the pier from which it was launched. The vessel is now at the Rajin Dockyard, where it is expected to remain for 7–10 days for repairs, according to North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
KCNA reported that Kim’s goal of completing the repairs ahead of a high-level government meeting scheduled for mid-June will be met.
The destroyer—reportedly North Korea’s second domestically built naval warship—capsized on May 21 at the port of Chongjin. The accident occurred during a high-profile launch ceremony when a malfunction in the launching system caused the ship’s stern to slide prematurely into the water, crushing the hull.
Kim, who witnessed the incident in person, called it a “criminal act,” and authorities swiftly arrested four individuals deemed responsible. Those detained include Ri Hyong Son, vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Workers’ Party Central Committee; Kang Jong Chol, chief engineer at the Chongjin Shipyard; Han Kyong Hak, head of the shipyard’s hull construction workshop; and Kim Yong Hak, deputy manager for administrative affairs.
The ship’s name has not yet been disclosed. It is part of North Korea’s broader naval modernization initiative, which aims to develop vessels capable of launching nuclear weapons.
The first destroyer in this program—the Choe Hyon, a guided missile destroyer—was successfully launched in April.
North Korea’s naval and missile capabilities have seen noticeable improvements in recent years, particularly as the country has drawn closer to Russia in a newly solidified military alliance. These upgrades are part of Kim Jong Un’s effort to modernize both the conventional and nuclear elements of the North Korean military amid a perceived strengthening of its diplomatic position.