Some unfortunate North Korean naval officer is about to have a really bad week. Yesterday was supposed to be a golden day for Kim Jong-un, who was all set to preside over a gala ceremony to welcome a shiny new 5,000-tonne destroyer to North Korea’s naval fleet.
Kim and top military officials gathered in the eastern port city of Chongjin yesterday to celebrate the launch of the new ship, doubtless beaming with pride at the accomplishments of his nation’s sailors and engineers.
Then it all went horribly wrong. As the destroyer was launched, it suddenly appeared off balance and tipped over, suffering massive damage to its hull. It soon emerged that the bottom of the warship had been accidentally crushed, leaving it helplessly bobbing on its side in the water.
— NOELREPORTS
A North Korean warship launch went wrong in front of Kim Jong Un, leaving the dictator furious, reports The Guardian. The 5,000-ton destroyer tipped during its launch in Chongjin, damaging the hull. Kim called it a “disgrace” and ordered repairs before the next party meeting.… pic.twitter.com/d0cbkXElsG
(@NOELreports) May 22, 2025
As you might expect, Kim was absolutely furious. State-run news channel KCNA reported that he made a “stern assessment”, describing it as a “serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility … and could not be tolerated.” He ordered that the warship must be repaired by next month and that whoever was responsible for this debacle had “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse”.
In what will make grim reading for whoever’s going to be found responsible, Kim blamed “inexperienced command and operational carelessness” for the accident and vowed that any officials involved would be “dealt with at the plenary meeting of the party central committee”.
Consequences inbound!
So, what does “dealt with” mean in North Korea? Well, last year, there was extensive flooding and landslides that claimed around a thousand lives in the country. Kim promptly ordered the execution of 30 officials for their failure in disaster preparedness, accusing them of corruption and dereliction of duty.
A defector also claimed that if Kim really doesn’t like you, he’ll lash you onto the end of an anti-aircraft gun and open fire: “They were lashed to the end of anti-aircraft guns. Their bodies were blown to bits, totally destroyed, blood and bits flying everywhere. And then after that military tanks moved in and they ran over the bits on the ground where the remains lay.”
All of which means that the sorry individual who’s going to get the blame for this probably won’t be around much longer.
