A “serious accident” took place as a new 5,000-tonne destroyer was unveiled during a launch ceremony in North Korea.
North Korea’s despotic leader, Kim Jong Un, watched on in horror as the new warship suffered serious damage at Wednesday’s event.
What happened?
During a launching event at the northeastern port of Chongjin, the newly-built destroyer became unbalanced and was punctured in its bottom sections after a transport cradle on the stern section slid off first and became stuck, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
KCNA didn't provide details on what caused the problem, the severity of the damage or whether anyone was injured.
The accident proved to be an embarrassing setback for Kim.
The leader has been demanding bigger warships to deal with what he calls escalating US-led threats against his country.
What has Kim Jong Un said?
Kim labelled the incident a “criminal act” caused by sheer carelessness and irresponsibility.
He added that the accident should never have occurred and that it would not be tolerated.
“Kim Jong Un made stern assessment saying that it was a serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which is out of the bounds of possibility and could not be tolerated," KCNA said.
The North Korean leader complained that the accident had lowered the dignity and self-respect of his state, and that a meeting would be held next month to “deal with” the military officials, scientists and shipyard operators who were blamed for the crash.
Kim called for a ruling Workers' Party meeting slated for late June to address their "irresponsible errors."
He also called for the destroyer to be restored as soon as possible, adding that fixing the ship was “not merely a practical issue but a political issue directly related to the authority of the state”.
It's not common for North Korea to acknowledge military-related setbacks, but observers say the disclosure of the failed ship launch suggests that Kim is serious about his naval advancement program and confident of ultimately achieving that objective.
The destroyers are able to carry nuclear-capable missiles.
"It's a shameful thing. But the reason why North Korea disclosed the incident is it wants to show it's speeding up the modernisation of its navy forces and expresses its confidence that it can eventually build" a greater navy, said Moon Keun-sik, a navy expert who teaches at Seoul's Hanyang University.
Moon suspected the incident likely happened because North Korean workers aren't yet familiar with such a large warship and were rushed to put it in the water.
The damaged vessel was likely the same class as the country's first destroyer unveiled last month, which experts assessed as North Korea's largest and most advanced warship to date. Kim called the first vessel, named Choe Hyon — a famed Korean guerrilla fighter during the Japanese colonial period — a significant asset for advancing his goal of expanding the military's operational range and nuclear strike capabilities.
State media described that ship as designed to carry weapons systems including nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. Kim said the ship was expected to enter active duty early next year and later supervised test-firings of missiles from the warship.
South Korea’s reaction
Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday that the damaged vessel was likely equipped with similar systems and remains toppled over in the sea.
The North Korean report came after recent commercial satellite images indicated that the country was building its second destroyer at a shipyard in Chongjin.
Beyond Parallel, a website run by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the satellite imagery of Chongjin's Hambuk shipyard on May 12 showed that a second vessel in the Choe Hyon-class of guided missile destroyers was under construction.
A report by the North Korea-focused 38 North website assessed last week that the destroyer in Chongjin was being prepared to be launched sideways from the quay, a method that has been rarely used in North Korea. The report said the previous destroyer launched at the western shipyard of Nampo, in contrast, used a floating dry dock.
South Korean officials and experts say the Choe Hyon destroyer was likely built with Russian assistance as the two countries' military partnerships are booming. While North Korea's naval forces are considered far inferior to those of its rivals, analysts say the destroyer with nuclear-capable missiles and an advanced radar system would still enhance the North's offensive and defensive capabilities.
Kim has framed the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the United States and South Korea, which have been expanding joint military exercises in response to the North's advancing nuclear program. He says the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next big step in strengthening the North Korean navy.
Hours after releasing the report on the damaged destroyer, North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles from an area about 300 kilometres (185 miles) south of Chongjin, according to South Korea's military. The launches were a continuation of a streak of weapons-testing activities by North Korea in recent years. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't immediately say how far the missiles flew, noting the launches were being analysed by South Korean and US intelligence authorities.
