North Korean Destroyer Now Upright

NORTH Korea’s destroyer that was damaged during its botched launch on May 21 has since been restored to upright position in a dry dock. The vessel 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. 

The ship tipped over while it was being prepared for a side launch into the water in attendance of the nation’s leader Kim Jong Un, an incident he said to be a“serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.”

The ship was reportedly refloated and turned upright on June 3Currently, the ship appears to have been moved to a dry dock in Rajin, near the North Korea-Russia border in the northeast, approximately 50 miles from where it was supposed to be launched. Media speculations included the possibility of Chinese or Russian assistance in the development of the ship or its repairs.

North Korea’s state media agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) previously said, “At the scene of the destroyer launch accident, the work for completely restoring the balance of the warship is being actively conducted”. They added that initial reports were inaccurate, saying no holes were found at the bottom of the warship after an “underwater and internal inspection”. KCNA also recently said that the hull would be examined for the next phase of restorations, expected to last around 7-10 days. -shp/adj/dl (Pix:REUTERS)