North Korea's new Warship suffers accident at launch

A major accident occurred during the launch of a new North Korean warship on Wednesday, prompting leader Kim Jong Un to denounce the mishap as a “criminal act” driven by carelessness and irresponsibility, according to state media outlet KCNA.

The incident took place at the northeastern port of Chongjin while Kim was in attendance. He was observing the launch of a 5,000-ton destroyer-the largest class of warship developed by the country to date-when the vessel suffered a loss of balance and sustained damage. KCNA reported that parts of the ship’s bottom were crushed but did not confirm any casualties.

Kim condemned the accident in harsh terms, stating it “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse” and described it as “a serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.” He ordered immediate restoration of the ship before a major ruling Workers’ Party meeting scheduled for June.

Kim emphasised that fixing the destroyer was not only a practical necessity but “a political issue directly related to the authority of the state,” KCNA said.

South Korea’s military confirmed that the damaged vessel was lying sideways in the water following the failed launch. According to Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun, South Korean and US intelligence had been monitoring activity around the port ahead of the event.

Later on Thursday, South Korea’s military reported that North Korea had fired multiple cruise missiles from an area south of the port around the time state media released details of the failed warship launch. No further information was given about the missiles.

The rare admission of a public failure follows North Korea’s launch of another destroyer of similar size in April, an event also overseen by Kim, at the Nampho shipyard on the country’s west coast.

North Korea has experienced similar incidents in the past-including failed space launches and civilian disasters-which have sometimes been used to reinforce the ruling party’s role in addressing national challenges.

This year’s 5,000-ton destroyers are part of Kim Jong Un’s broader effort to modernise North Korea’s naval forces, with plans to equip the vessels with the capacity to carry and launch dozens of missiles.