North Korea has detained several top officials after the failed launch of a major warship damaged one of its largest destroyers, state media reported. The incident occurred on Wednesday at the Chongjin Shipyard and has sparked a formal investigation, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday.
The KCNA said no further damage had been found on the warship and that rehabilitation efforts were going ahead as planned.
Among those detained for legal investigations are the shipyard’s chief engineer, the head of the hull construction workshop, and the deputy manager for administrative affairs, according to the KCNA report.
The 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class destroyer — one of North Korea’s biggest warships — was a central piece of the regime’s naval modernisation programme. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was present at the launch and state media made a rare public admission of failure.
In a Thursday report, KCNA quoted Kim calling the incident a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.”
KCNA reported that the bow of the destroyer did not leave the shipway, and satellite images suggest part of the vessel remained on land.
On Friday, KCNA released a separate report saying that the damage “is not serious.” It said the investigation found no holes in the ship’s bottom, though seawater had entered the vessel. No photos or videos of the damaged ship were released, a notable absence given North Korea’s usual practice of broadcasting triumphant images of its military advances.
Kim’s government has previously distorted facts about its weapons tests, even using edited video to portray failed missile launches as successful. However, the scale and visibility of the destroyer’s launch may have made it difficult to conceal this failure. When the first Choe Hyon-class destroyer was launched in April, North Korean state television showed a grand public ceremony attended by thousands, including Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae.
North Korea’s navy mainly consists of smaller vessels designed for coastal defence. The new destroyers were intended to increase the country’s offensive capability in both the Yellow Sea to the west and the eastern waters facing Japan.
(With inputs from Bloomberg )
The KCNA said no further damage had been found on the warship and that rehabilitation efforts were going ahead as planned.
Among those detained for legal investigations are the shipyard’s chief engineer, the head of the hull construction workshop, and the deputy manager for administrative affairs, according to the KCNA report.
The 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class destroyer — one of North Korea’s biggest warships — was a central piece of the regime’s naval modernisation programme. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was present at the launch and state media made a rare public admission of failure.
In a Thursday report, KCNA quoted Kim calling the incident a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.”
KCNA reported that the bow of the destroyer did not leave the shipway, and satellite images suggest part of the vessel remained on land.
On Friday, KCNA released a separate report saying that the damage “is not serious.” It said the investigation found no holes in the ship’s bottom, though seawater had entered the vessel. No photos or videos of the damaged ship were released, a notable absence given North Korea’s usual practice of broadcasting triumphant images of its military advances.
Kim’s government has previously distorted facts about its weapons tests, even using edited video to portray failed missile launches as successful. However, the scale and visibility of the destroyer’s launch may have made it difficult to conceal this failure. When the first Choe Hyon-class destroyer was launched in April, North Korean state television showed a grand public ceremony attended by thousands, including Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae.
North Korea’s navy mainly consists of smaller vessels designed for coastal defence. The new destroyers were intended to increase the country’s offensive capability in both the Yellow Sea to the west and the eastern waters facing Japan.
(With inputs from Bloomberg )
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