Kim Jong Un reportedly furious over botched warship launch

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was furious after a major accident occured at the launch ceremony for a warship on May 21.

Official state media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported that “a serious accident occurred” involving the 5,000-tonne naval destroyer.

Kim, who watched the entire incident, said the officials responsible for the mishap “brought the dignity and self-respect of (North Korea) to collapse”.

“It was a serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which is out of the bounds of possibility and could not be tolerated”

The mishap was caused by “inexperienced command and operational carelessness”, reported KCNA.

A malfunction in the launch mechanism caused the ship’s rear to slide prematurely into the water, leaving the warship unbalanced, with some sections of its bottom crushed.

According to The Guardian, South Korea’s military said the warship was lying sideways in the water.

Consequences

Kim said the “irresponsible errors” of the officials responsible would be “dealt with at the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee to be convened next month”.

As quoted by the South China Morning Post, Professor Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, commented that some officials responsible for the botched launch “may face execution”.

Kim has also ordered the ship to be restored before the meeting in June.

“Restoring the destroyer as soon as possible is not merely a practical issue but a political issue directly related to the prestige of the state,” he added.

Another 5,000-tonne warship

In April, another 5,000-tonne destroyer-class vessel named Choe Hyon was unveiled.

Kim attended the launch ceremony with his daughter, Ju Ae, who many experts consider his successor.

The Choe Hyon is expected to begin operating in early 2026, with the “most powerful weapons", said KCNA.

The South Korean military has said that the Choe Hyon could have been developed with Russian help, possibly in exchange for the estimated 14,000 troops North Korea deployed to help Russia fight Ukraine last year.

North Korea has been deepening its military ties with Russia since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In Nov. 2024, the two countries signed a defence pact.

A botched celebration

This year is significant for the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea as it celebrates its 80th anniversary.

According to Daily NK, anniversary preparations have taken top priority, with the public even speculating that it has caused the state to delay elections originally scheduled for last year.

The warship's launch was also in line with North Korea’s five-year defence development plan, which was announced in early 2021. Major tasks under the plan include developing, acquiring and improving nuclear weapons in North Korea.

Daily NK reported that in February, Kim ordered major munition factories to accelerate the completion of these tasks.

Factories must “turn this year, the 80th anniversary of the party’s foundation, into a proud year marked by victory in military industry”, he said.

Top image via The Presidential Press and Information Office