North Korea reports ‘serious incident’ during naval destroyer launch

Leader Kim Jong-un has demanded the ship’s restoration before June, according to state media

North Korean state media reported a “serious accident” during the attempted launch of a 5,000-ton naval destroyer on Wednesday.

The country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, attended the side-launch ceremony at the Chongjin Shipyard. He observed the incident and issued a stern rebuke, news outlets said.

According to reports, the slide system beneath the ship’s stern activated prematurely, resulting in a failure of the slides to move in parallel and damage to the vessel. Officials attributed the incident to “inexperienced command and operational carelessness.”

Kim condemned the mishap as an unacceptable act of criminal negligence and ordered immediate repairs. He instructed that the warship be fully restored before a major meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in June. The government reportedly views the failure as a political embarrassment with implications for the country’s global image.

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No photos or video footage of the incident have been released by Pyongyang.

South Korea’s military confirmed it has been monitoring the construction of the destroyer, adding that the ship appeared to be partially capsized following the failed launch.

The Choe Hyon test-firing a missile, April 30, 2025. ©  KCNA

Last month, North Korea unveiled a new destroyer, the Choe Hyon, and conducted a weapons demonstration shortly afterward. According to reports, the warship fired cruise missiles designed to strike targets at various ranges, an anti-aircraft missile, and a 127mm automatic gun during the test.