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Kim Jong Un Blames Officials for Warship Launch Failure
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has strongly criticized senior officials following a major incident involving the launch of a newly built 5,000-ton warship. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the destroyer sustained significant damage when a transport cradle detached prematurely during its launch in Chongjin, a northeastern city in North Korea.
The report blames the incident on poor leadership and inexperience, labeling it a “serious accident and criminal act.” Kim, who witnessed the failure, condemned it as the result of “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.” He made it clear that such errors are intolerable.
Kim vowed that those responsible would face consequences at the upcoming meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea. He also demanded that the damaged vessel be fully restored in time for the party's plenary session in June. KCNA emphasized that Kim considers the ship’s repair not just a technical issue, but a matter of national political significance.
The South Korean military observed that the launch attempt had likely failed and that the vessel appeared to have partially capsized.
This public acknowledgment of failure is unusual in North Korea, where the ruling Kim dynasty is typically portrayed as infallible.
The incident followed Kim’s high-profile appearance at the warship’s unveiling on April 25, when he described the destroyer as a new multipurpose vessel equipped with advanced weaponry. He had called it essential to defending North Korea’s maritime sovereignty and a critical step toward becoming a major naval power.
