A launch ceremony for a new North Korean naval destroyer went horribly wrong in front of ‘supreme’ leader Kim Jong Un, according to state media.
Kim watched on in horror as the 5,000-ton ship was severely damaged after failing to launch properly.
He declared the mishap a ‘criminal act caused by absolute carelessness’ that ‘could not be tolerated’.
Kim has ordered the destroyer to be restored before a June party meeting, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The outlet confirmed that during the ceremony on Wednesday ‘a serious accident occurred’.
In a statement KCNA said: ‘Due to immature command and operational negligence, the parallel movement of the bogies could not be guaranteed, resulting in the launching sled in the stern detaching first and causing the ship to capsize.
‘The ship’s balance was destroyed due to a rupture in the hull in some sections, and the bow section was unable to detach from the keel.’
Kim was less than impressed by the blunder, saying: ‘This is a serious accident and criminal act that could not have happened and could not be tolerated due to pure carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism,’ the agency reported.
A launch ceremony for a new North Korean naval destroyer went horribly wrong in front of ‘supreme’ leader Kim Jong Un, according to state media. Pictured: A different naval destroyer unveiled in Nampo, North Korea, last month
Kim (pictured last month) watched on in horror as the 5,000-ton ship was severely damaged after failing to launch properly
He continued: ‘The urgent restoration of the destroyer is not a simple practical issue, but a political issue directly related to the authority of the country.’
‘It must be completed unconditionally before the June plenary session of the Central Committee of the Party’, he added.
The ship that held the launching ceremony this time appears to be of the same class as the 5,000-ton destroyer Choi Hyun-ho that North Korea launched last month.
In April Kim unveiled a nuclear-capable naval destroyer that he says will bolster North Korea ‘s ability to defend itself in the face of perceived aggression from the US and its regional allies.
The North Korean leader attended the warship’s launch ceremony at the western port of Nampo with his teenage daughter Kim Ju Ae, according to state-run media.
Ju Ae has been widely regarded by analysts as the likely successor to Kim since she was referred to as a ‘great person of guidance’ in an official report last year.
Kim said the 5,000-ton vessel would bolster efforts to expand the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military.
The ‘multi-purpose’ destroyer, designed to handle a variety of arms including nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, was touted as the first in a new class of heavily armed warships.
Kim, who has framed the arms buildup as a response to the supposed danger posed by the US and its allies in Asia, said the destroyer would be handed over to the navy early next year before beginning active duty.
Jo Chun Ryong, a secretary in the ruling Workers’ party, claimed the ship was equipped with the ‘most powerful weapons’ and was built ‘within 400-odd days’.
Kim also took aim at efforts by the US and South Korea to expand joint military exercises and update their nuclear deterrence strategies, which he portrayed as preparations for war.
He vowed to ‘respond decisively to this geopolitical crisis and ongoing developments,’ the Korean Central News Agency reported.
There was no immediate comment from South Korea’s military on the revelation of the new warship.
