The launch of North Korea’s second domestically built destroyer ended in failure after the ship capsized and sustained damage.
The Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday that during the launch at the port of Chongjin on Wednesday, the vessel became unbalanced and was punctured after a transport cradle on the stern section slid off.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the incident and, according to KCNA, blamed military officials, scientists, and shipyard operators for the accident, calling it a “serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.”
Satellite images released on Thursday show the ship partially submerged in the port.
An admission of failure from North Korean state media is extremely rare. However, some observers believe the public acknowledgment may be North Korea’s way of demonstrating the speed at which it is modernizing its military.
Just last month, North Korea launched the Choe Hon, the country’s first domestically produced destroyer, as part of its effort to replace its outdated Cold War-era fleet with modern warships. Despite Wednesday’s failure, the launch shows that North Korea has now completed two ships in two months, with more potentially in progress.
Recently, Kim has pushed for full-scale modernization across all branches of North Korea’s military. This includes showcasing new air-to-air missile capabilities, naval vessels, tanks, artillery, and an expanded nuclear weapons program.
In April, following the launch of the Choe Hon, Kim announced his intention to arm the North Korean navy with nuclear weapons and stated a goal of constructing nuclear-powered submarines.
According to KCNA, the damaged ship was carrying nuclear capable ballistic and cruise missiles onboard during Wednesdays launch.
North Korea’s deepening military and economic ties with Russia — including technical assistance and technology sharing — may have made some of Kim’s once-ambitious defense plans increasingly feasible.
KCNA would state that a session of the ruling Workers Part of Korea is scheduled for June to address the failure of the launch.