North Korea reported on Thursday that a serious accident occurred during the launching ceremony of its newly constructed 5,000-ton class destroyer, the Choe Hyon class. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly witnessed the incident and was enraged.
According to the Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, the accident occurred on Wednesday at the Chongjin Shipyard. The second destroyer of the Choe Hyon class had completed construction and was undergoing its launching ceremony, but apparently failed to enter the water properly.
The newspaper explained that during the launch process, inexperienced command and operational negligence led to uneven movement of the transport vehicle. This caused the stern launch sled to detach prematurely, resulting in hull damage in some areas. The ship’s balance was compromised, preventing the bow from detaching from the slipway.
Based on North Korea’s statement, the newly built ship was supposed to slide down a ramp into the water on a transport vehicle. However, the bow and stern vehicles failed to move simultaneously, preventing the ship from floating. This mishap seems to have caused significant damage to the destroyer’s lower sections.
The launch ceremony accident occurred in Kim’s presence. The newspaper reported that after observing the entire incident, he harshly criticized it as an unacceptable and grave major accident and a criminal act.
Kim further stated that this incident has instantly degraded North Korea’s dignity and pride. He ordered severe punishment for those responsible. North Korea has announced plans for a plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party at the end of June, where decisions on accountability and personnel changes are expected to be made.
Specifically, Kim directed investigations into officials from the Department of Munitions Industry of the Party Central Committee, the Institute of Dynamics of the State Academy of Sciences, Kim Chaek University of Technology, the Central Ship Design Institute, and Cheongjin Shipyard to determine responsibility.
He emphasized that swiftly restoring the destroyer is not merely a practical issue but a political matter directly linked to the nation’s authority. Kim demanded the restoration be completed without fail before the party’s plenary meeting at the end of June.
On April 25, North Korea held a launching ceremony for its first 5,000-ton class new destroyer at the Nampo Shipyard on the west coast. Just three days later, North Korea conducted test firings of the destroyer’s onboard weapon systems, including cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles, in an apparent rush to deploy the new vessel.
However, this accident is expected to delay North Korea’s plans to operationally deploy the 5,000-ton class destroyer, which is scheduled for early next year. The newspaper featured this report on its front page, openly disclosing the information to all citizens. This move appears to signal domestically and internationally that their plans have encountered setbacks.