Kim Jong Un Furious After Destroyer Sinks At Launch Ceremony

North Korea’s latest naval project suffered a major blow when a newly built 5,000-ton destroyer was severely damaged during its launch—an event witnessed by leader Kim Jong Un, who called the mishap “a criminal act,” CNN reported, citing state media and satellite imagery.

The botched launch is a significant setback for North Korea’s most ambitious naval modernization effort in decades. I Photo: Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a malfunction in the launch mechanism caused the stern of the destroyer to prematurely slide into the water, crushing part of the hull while the bow remained stuck on land.

Kim lashed out at multiple state bodies, including the Munitions Industry Department, Kim Chaek University of Technology, and the ship design bureau, for what he called “absolute carelessness.”

Satellite images reviewed by CNN showed the ship tilted, with the stern in the water and the bow on the shipway. Maritime experts said such asymmetrical launches could cause catastrophic structural damage.

“If the ship does not move together, the stresses will tear the hull apart,” said Campbell University professor Sal Mercogliano.

Analyst Carl Schuster added that the incident could warp the hull, crack the structure, or even snap the keel. The failure is a significant setback for North Korea’s most ambitious naval modernization effort in decades.