North Korean Warship Topples During Launch in Front of Kim Jong Un

A newly built North Korean destroyer suffered an accident during its launch ceremony on May 21 in the port city of Chongjin, state-run KCNA agency said.

Authorities in Pyongyang reportedly attempted a transverse launch method, but the ship was damaged due to what KCNA described as "gross negligence” and "poor leadership.”

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the ship had fallen onto its side in the water but remains afloat.

South Korea's Unification Ministry noted that Pyongyang unusually admitted the failure publicly, likely as a means of enforcing internal discipline.

"The report attributes the mishap to "pure carelessness,' suggesting that the regime intends to punish those responsible harshly,” said a ministry representative.

Kim Jong Un Witnessed the Incident Firsthand

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was present at the launch and reportedly called the mishap a serious accident and crime. He ordered the ship to be restored in time for the June plenary meeting of the Workers' Party Central Committee, framing the failure as a matter of national prestige.

Despite the dramatic collapse, South Korean news agency Newsis cited evidence that the destroyer may not have sustained major structural damage. The urgency to restore it suggests repairs are feasible.

Details

The Korean People's Army Navy (KPANF; lit. Korean People's Military Navy) or the Korean People's Navy (KPN) is the naval component of the Korean People's Army, the North Korean armed forces. There are some 780 vessels including 70 midget submarines (including the Yono-class submarine and Sang-O-class submarine), 20 Romeo-class submarines, and about 140 air cushioned landing craft. The North Korean navy is considered a brown-water (or riverine) navy and operates mainly within the 50 kilometer exclusion zone. The fleet consists of east and west coast squadrons, which cannot support each other in the event of war with an adversary such as South Korea. The limited range of its vessels means that, even in peacetime, it is virtually impossible for a ship on one coast to visit the other coast.