North Korea relaunches damaged warship after botched unveiling

Published on 13/06/2025 - 11:42 GMT+2

North Korea has relaunched its damaged 2nd naval destroyer, conscionable 3 weeks aft it capsized during a grounded launch. 

State media said nan warship has been repaired and was launched successful a ceremonial attended by leader Kim Jong-un.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday that Kim oversaw nan motorboat and boarded nan ship, telling troops that “nothing tin block” North Korea’s efforts to fortify its naval combat powerfulness amid “US-led hostilities”.

The announcement aligns pinch outer imagery and assessments from extracurricular observers, though experts stay doubtful astir nan ship’s condition. 

Many mobility whether cardinal systems — specified arsenic its motor and electronics — tin usability usually aft being submerged for astir 2 weeks.

The 21 May mishap reportedly angered Kim, who blamed “criminal negligence” and ordered officials to complete repairs up of a ruling Workers’ Party gathering later this month.

 State media later confirmed that 4 officials were detained complete nan grounded launch.

On Thursday, KCNA quoted Kim arsenic saying nan 2 destroyers would lend importantly to enhancing naval operations. 

He said nan North would respond to outer threats pinch “overwhelming subject action,” and offered “deepest condolences” to nan family of a shipyard worker who died during repairs.

Satellite images antecedently showed nan destroyer partially submerged astatine nan larboard of Chongjin. Last week, North Korean media said nan vessel had been righted and moved to Rajin, adjacent nan Russian border, for further work.

Analysts opportunity nan restoration timeline raises doubts. “Considering nan clip they needed to raise nan vessel, they would person had little than 2 weeks to transportation retired nan existent repair work,” said nan Uk, an expert astatine Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies. 

“Would that person been capable clip to wholly hole everything and bring nan alloy to a authorities wherever it’s operationally capable? I deliberation that’s highly unlikely,” he added.

South Korean master Lee Illwoo said captious systems specified arsenic nan motor room and rocket launchers whitethorn person been damaged by saltwater. He suggested nan move to Rajin indicates apt Russian assistance pinch repairs.

KCNA said nan vessel is successful nan aforesaid people arsenic North Korea’s first destroyer, launched successful April. Both are believed to beryllium 4,500-metric-tonne vessels and are considered nan North’s astir precocious warships to date. Kim has announced plans to build 2 further destroyers adjacent year.

The study comes arsenic South Korea’s caller wide authorities nether President Lee Jae-myung suspended frontline propaganda broadcasts — a measurement seen arsenic aimed astatine easing tensions pinch nan North.

Pyongyang has not formally responded.