North Korea Botches Destroyer Launch, New Destroyer Badly Damaged
On May 21, the North Korean town of Chongjin got a big visitor – Kim Jong Un himself showed up to watch the launch of the hermit kingdom’s latest surface combatant. However, the launch of the 5,000-ton destroyer did not go as planned. According to North Korean state media, “in the course of the launch, the launch slide of the stern has departed first and stranded as the flatcar failed to move in parallel. sections of the warship’s bottom were crushed, destroying the balance of the warship and the bow couldn’t leave the shipway, leading to a serious accident.”
While North Korea claims otherwise, South Korean analysts believe the damage is significant. Shin Seung-ki from the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses told NK News that the bottom of the hull was likely cracked and “severely damaged”. Meanwhile, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the ship is still lying in the ocean – information which is corroborated by satellite imagery. The most likely cause of the disaster is North Korea’s inexperience with side launches.
To no one’s surprise, Kim Jong Un was not happy. In fact, he was furious! The Supreme Leader called the incident a “criminal act” caused by “carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism” which “cannot be tolerated”. In response, the party will hold a plenary meeting in late June, where responsible officials will be dealt with. Kim also declared he expects the destroyer to be repaired by the time of the meeting, although this deadline is unrealistic, and works will likely take a few months.
The choice to go public with the failure is not atypical for Kim Jong Un. Doing so offers an opportunity to pin blame and capture the narrative while preventing the spread of rumors. It also offers an opportunity to highlight the state’s commitment to its naval modernization strategy.
However, heads will roll. Korean state media called the accident “an unpardonable criminal act” and stated that “those responsible for it can never evade their responsibility for the crime”. The incident may lead to the execution or arrest of some of the DPRK’s top naval engineers.
The new vessel would have been the second in its class after the Choe Hyon which was launched just one month prior. According to satellite evidence, it had been under construction for at least a year. 74 VLS cells were counted on the destroyer, and it features a single gun which is likely either 127mm or 130mm. It is 16 meters wide and over 140 meters long. The new destroyers are arguably North Korea’s most modern naval vessels, and some have speculated they could have been designed with Russian help.