North Korea arrests those responsible for failed destroyer launch

A North Korean destroyer is covered with a blue tarp after an accident during its launch at a shipyard in Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province on May 23, 2025, in this satellite image from Planet Labs.

SEOUL, May 25 (AJP) - North Korea has arrested a slew of officials and shipyard workers responsible for the failed launch of its naval destroyer earlier this week and taken steps to investigate them.

The country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Sunday that the investigation into the incident is "being intensified." The development came just a few days after leader Kim Jong-un's fury over the incident, which he blamed on "criminal negligence."

KCNA earlier quoted North Korean military authorities as saying, "No matter how good the state of the warship is, the fact that the accident is an unpardonable criminal act remains unchanged, and those responsible for it can never evade their responsibility for the crime."

The 5,000-ton-class warship was accidentally capsized during a launch ceremony at the northeastern port city of Chongjin last Wednesday, causing a huge embarrassment for Kim, who was there to apparently show off the country's military might.

Kim reportedly ordered the destroyer to be repaired before the Workers' Party gathering convenes in late June. KCNA also claimed that the damage was "not serious" and could be repaired in about 10 days, although the extremely secretive nature of the isolated country makes it almost impossible to verify.

Satellite images of the site showed the destroyer lying on its side, with most of its hull submerged. "How severe the damage to the vessel is, whether it is a total loss, how long it will take to repair, and how successful the overall salvage operation will be are yet unclear," according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The think tank, nevertheless, speculated that the destroyer "will not be entering service anytime soon and may ultimately prove to be a complete loss," which has "undoubtedly disrupted" Kim's plans to strengthen naval forces "capable of strategic offensive operations."

The botched launch "marks a setback for what analysts have viewed as North Korea's most ambitious naval modernization effort in decades," U.S. news outlet CNN also reported.

The damaged destroyer is believed to be a follow-up to North Korea's first such vessel, unveiled last month as part of Kim's ambitious plans to build more destroyers and various frigates. It is said to be capable of carrying a range of weapons including nuclear missiles, and was likely built with Russian assistance.