North Korea yesterday said it began steps to arrest and investigate those responsible for the failed launch of its second naval destroyer after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed fury over the incident that he said was caused by criminal negligence.
The warship was damaged when a transport cradle on the ship’s stern detached early during a launch ceremony at the northeastern port of Chongjin on Wednesday, North Korean state media said. Satellite imagery on the site showed the vessel lying on its side, with most of its hull submerged and draped in blue covers.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) yesterday said that the severity of the damage was “not serious” and could be repaired in about 10 days.
Photo: Reuters
It said the hull on the starboard side was scratched and some seawater had flowed into the stern section, although it denied an earlier assessment that the bottom of the hull had been left with holes.
The extremely secretive nature of North Korea makes it almost impossible to verify the assessment. North Korea has a history of manipulating or covering up military-related setbacks, policy fiascoes and other mishaps, although it has periodically acknowledged such events in recent years.
Observers believe North Korea’s admission of the failed launch was likely meant to show Kim’s resolve to advance his naval capabilities and boost discipline.
North Korea’s Central Military Commission summoned Hong Kil-ho, manager of the Chongjin shipyard, as it began its investigation of the failed launch, KCNA reported.
“No matter how good the state of the warship is, the fact that the accident is an unpardonable criminal act remains unchanged, and those responsible for it can never evade their responsibility for the crime,” KCNA quoted the commission as saying.
Kim, who was present at the failed launch, had blamed military officials, scientists and shipyard operators, and ordered that the warship be repaired before a high-level ruling North Korean Workers’ Party meeting in late next month.
The damaged ship is assessed as the same class as North Korea’s first destroyer, unveiled last month with great fanfare and said to be capable of carrying various weapons, including nuclear missiles. It is the North’s biggest and most advanced warship to date and was likely built with Russian assistance, analysts said.
The North Korea-focused 38 North Web site had last week assessed that North Korea was preparing to launch the destroyer in Chongjin with a method it has rarely used. The report said the ship was being prepared to be launched sideways from the quay, while the previous destroyer launched at the western shipyard of Nampo used a floating dry dock.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
NO EXCUSES: Marcos said his administration was acting on voters’ demands, but an academic said the move was emotionally motivated after a poor midterm showing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term. The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. “He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
RSS