N-Korea declares ‘serious incident’ throughout naval destroyer initiation

(MENAFN) North Korean state media has confirmed a “serious accident” occurred during the launch of a 5,000-ton naval destroyer on Wednesday at the Chongjin Shipyard. Leader Kim Jong-un was present at the launch ceremony and reportedly issued a harsh reprimand following the incident.

The accident took place when the launch slide system under the rear of the ship engaged too early, causing misalignment in the slides and damaging the vessel. Officials blamed the failure on poor leadership and lack of experience in operations.

Kim Jong-un denounced the incident as “criminal negligence” and ordered immediate restoration of the damaged warship. He instructed that repairs be completed before a significant meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea scheduled for June. North Korean authorities are said to consider the failed launch a political embarrassment that could harm the country's international image.

No images or video of the event have been made public.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s military confirmed it had been tracking the destroyer's construction and noted that the ship appeared to be partially capsized after the botched launch.

This incident follows the recent unveiling of North Korea’s new destroyer, the Choe Hyon, which successfully test-fired multiple weapons in April, including cruise missiles, an anti-aircraft missile, and a 127mm automatic gun.

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