North Korea, which failed to launch a 5,000-ton (t) new destroyer at the Chongjin shipyard in North Hamgyong Province, is pushing for a return to normal within a month; however, the process of upright the capsized ship is expected to face difficulties without external assistance. A maritime crane is required to stand the tilted ship up and haul it onto land. Considering the underdeveloped shipyard environment in North Korea, the likelihood of lacking such equipment is high.

Kim Jong Un, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, who was embarrassed during the launch ceremony (the event of floating a built vessel), ordered the restoration of the new destroyer before the upcoming plenary meeting of the Labor Party Central Committee, where key officials are expected to gather next month. Individuals in the domestic shipbuilding industry believe the repair period will vary depending on whether a maritime crane can be secured. The possibility of requesting assistance from China and Russia is also being discussed.

The damaged new 5000-ton class destroyer of North Korea during its launch. The bow is on land, and the stern is in the water, covered with a blue waterproof tarp. /Courtesy of British nonprofit security research organization Open Source Center (OSC) X capture

On the 26th, Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the Central Committee of the (North) Korean Workers' Party, reported that officials responsible for the destroyer launch incident at Chongjin shipyard have been arrested one after another. Following Ri Hyong Son, the deputy head of the military industrial department of the Central Committee, arrests include Kim Yong Hak, the administrative manager; Hong Gil Ho, the manager of the Chongjin shipyard; Han Kyung Hak, the head of the hull assembly workplace; and Kang Jong Chol, the chief engineer at the Chongjin shipyard.

The 5,000-ton destroyer built by North Korea partially sank in the sea during the launching process at the Chongjin shipyard on the 21st. Kim Jong Un, who witnessed this at the scene, stated, “This has led to an instant fall in our nation’s dignity and pride” and directed punishments for those involved and the restoration of the hull. The restoration deadline was set for before the end of June, prior to the Labor Party Central Committee plenary meeting.

Domestic experts unanimously say that the repair deadline is tight. First, a maritime crane is needed to stand the ship up and bring it ashore for repairs. They report that North Korea's major shipyards, such as those in Chongjin, Nampo, and Wonsan, are under-equipped, and it is also difficult to introduce the latest equipment. The presence of a maritime crane cannot be confirmed in the photos of the accident.

An individual in the shipbuilding industry noted, “We need to get the ship back onto land, and with it capsized, our only option is to lift it with a maritime crane. Given that the ship was launched using the slipway method, it is presumed that the shipyard is lacking in capital and infrastructure. If there is no maritime crane, borrowing one from other countries like China or Russia is also possible.”

In 2014, LSC 7 is launched using the slipway method on the Menominee River in Wisconsin, USA. /Courtesy of Lockheed Martin YouTube capture

North Korea had an accident while using the slipway method, which involves building the ship on land and sliding it down an inclined plane into the sea. This method is difficult for launching large vessels and poses risks of capsizing or damaging the ship, so domestic shipyards have not used it since the 1990s.

Domestic shipyards utilize the 'dry dock' method, where construction is completed in a land dock and water is filled to launch the vessel, and the 'floating dock' method, where a ship built in a land or floating dock is moved to a floating dock and water is filled to launch it. Compared to the slipway method, these methods require much higher capital investment and large spaces, as well as advanced technology.

The recent damage to the destroyer resulted in North Korea losing a significant military asset. North Korea has been suspected of providing personnel and conventional weapons to Russia, which is currently at war with Ukraine, while receiving missile systems and electronic warfare equipment in return from Russia.

On the 25th of last month, a new 5,000-ton multi-purpose destroyer named 'Choe Hyun' successfully launched at the Nampo shipyard, featuring technology such as a four-sided phased array radar, supersonic cruise missiles, and 127mm shipboard automatic guns. This technology, not previously seen on North Korean vessels, is similar to that equipped on Russia's Karakurt-class vessels, raising strong concerns about Russia's potential military technology support.