North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the launch ceremony of a newly built 5,000-ton-class destroyer, but an accident occurred that resulted in significant damage to the vessel.
According to reports from North Korean Central News Agency and others on the 22nd, the accident occurred on the 21st at the Chongjin Shipyard. It is understood that during the launch ceremony for the second ship of the 'Choe Yong' class, the ship was not properly launched into the sea.
The agency reported, "A serious accident occurred during the launch process." It added, "Due to inexperienced command and operational negligence, the launch sled for the stern part detached prematurely, leading to grounding, and the ship's balance was disrupted due to a hull breach in some sections, while the bow part failed to disengage from the launch platform."
The ship must be slid onto the launch gear to rise above the water surface, but it appears that the gear installed at the bow and stern did not operate simultaneously during this process. The destroyer is presumed to have sustained significant damage.
Kim, who observed all aspects of the accident, criticized, "This is an utterly inexcusable and unacceptable serious major accident and criminal act that resulted from sheer negligence, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism," the agency reported.
He then instructed, "Urgently restoring the destroyer is not just a practical issue but a political issue directly related to the authority of the state," and emphasized that it must be completed unconditionally before the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee in June.