Kim Jong-un has lashed out at North Korea‘s navy after the launch of its largest warship failed, an embarrassing setback as he seeks to modernise the isolated country’s naval forces.
Mr Kim denounced the unsuccessful launch of the 5,000-tonne naval destroyer at the northeastern port of Chongjin on Wednesday as a “criminal act” caused by “carelessness”, according to state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
During the launch, which Mr Kim attended, the ship became unbalanced and sustained damage to its hull. The report did not specify the cause of the incident or if there were any injuries.
Mr Kim called the incident a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism ... [which] could not be tolerated”, said KCNA.
The North Korean leader added that the incident “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse”, stressing that the success of the warship was “a political issue directly related to the authority of the state”.
Mr Kim’s unusually strong public remarks came as he has endeavoured to modernise the country’s surface and underwater naval forces as a pillar of its defences.
Late last month, Pyongyang launched its first large-sized destroyer, called the Choe Hyon, which it said was equipped with anti-air and ship weapons systems as well as nuclear-armed ballistic and cruise missile capabilities. It said the ship would enter operation early next year.
Seoul’s joint chiefs of staff said that the destroyer launched on Wednesday, which had been left lying sideways in the sea, was larger than the Choe Hyon but was probably equipped with similar weapons systems.
North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles off its east coast on Thursday as it disclosed the failed launch, according to South Korea’s military.
A report last week by the 38 North programme at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington noted that the ship was set to be launched sideways from the quay, an unusual method for the country’s navy.
Previously, North Korea has launched ships using gravitational or floating methods, the analysts wrote, while the April launch used a floating dry-dock.
South Korean experts and officials suggested that Pyongyang could have developed the Choe Hyon with assistance from Russia, in exchange for sending troops and munitions to support its war against Ukraine.
“Moscow probably offered some technological help for the warship construction from the beginning stage,” said Cheong Seong-chang, a researcher at the Sejong Institute think tank in Seoul.
“But the dock seems to have been built in haste, and the warship was rushed to be put in the water without thorough examination.”
Experts said the Choe Hyon could be equipped with short-range nuclear missiles, though Pyongyang has yet to successfully miniaturise nuclear warheads for deployment.
Mr Kim has also identified nuclear-powered submarines as a priority for the country’s naval expansion.
Mr Cheong said North Korea’s disclosure of the incident reflected Mr Kim’s divergent ruling style from his father and grandfather, former leaders Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung, who “used to hide this kind of military accident”.
By contrast, Mr Kim was more open, “probably because he knows that the North‘s moves are under constant surveillance”, added Mr Cheong.
“He hates to see this kind of accident leaked ... so he is using these critical errors to breathe tension into the military, putting officials on alert to prevent any similar accidents.” − Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
