N. Korean Destroyer Damaged In Botched Launch
NORTH Korea’s second destroyer was damaged during a failed launch on May 21, inciting the fury of the supreme leader Kim Jong Un. The destroyer is likely the second of the Korean People Navy’s (KPN) latest 5,000-tonne Choe-Hyon-class warship, with the first being launched on April 25. Following that, North Korea then fired multiple unidentified cruise missiles towards the Sea of Japan.
At a launching ceremony attended by the supreme leader at the northeastern port of Chongjin, the newly-built destroyer became unbalanced after a transport cradle on the stern detached during an attempt at a side-launch into the water. Early reports stated that the sections of the hull’s bottom was crushed, satellite imagery saw the warship lying on its side partly submerged and covered in blue tarpaulin. Experts said that the launch method had never been used by North Korean warship builders but has used for commercial vessels.
The North’s state media agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, “At the scene of the destroyer launch accident, the work for completely restoring the balance of the warship is being actively conducted”. However, KCNA added that initial reports were inaccurate, saying that no holes were found at the bottom of the warship after an “underwater and internal inspection”. KCNA also characterised the damage as “not serious” despite doubts from experts who suspect the damage to be worse. They added that the repairs are to be done “according to its schedule” reported to be around 10 days for pumping out seawater, setting the ship upright and repairs to the hull.
Taking the namesake of an anti-Japanese revolutionary fighter, it is an entirely new class of heavily armed warships, equipped with anti-air, anti-ship weapons and reportedly even nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. Said to have been built in little over 400 days, the first ship is expected to be delivered to the KPN early next year and commissioned into active service. Kim also witnessed test-firings of missiles from the ship after its launch. The Choe-Hyon class is central to the KPN’s modernisation plan, which according to the South Korean military could have been developed with the help of its Russian allies in exchange for the North’s military troop deployments to Ukraine.
The incident incurred the wrath of Kim, calling it a “serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.” He said that the “irresponsible errors” of officials responsible would be “dealt with at the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee to be convened next month”. Four people have since been detained to date, among them the vice-department director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Party Central Committee Ri Hyong Son, shipyard manager Hong Kil Ho, construction head and chief engineer. Ri, part of the Central Military Commission is the highest-level official arrested so far.-shp/adj/dl (Pix:AP)