NORTH KOREA: Satellite images have, for the first time, revealed the extent of a shipyard accident in North Korea that damaged a new warship while leader Kim Jong Un was present.
The images show the warship lying on its side, covered with large blue tarpaulins, with part of the vessel resting on land in the eastern port city of Chongjin.
State media reported that an official investigation has begun following the accident, which Kim described as a “criminal act.” No casualties or injuries have been reported.
North Korea’s official news agency, KCNA, downplayed the damage, stating that it was “not serious” and that no holes were found on the ship’s bottom. However, the hull’s starboard was scratched, and some seawater entered the stern through the rescue channel.
The shipyard manager, Hong Kil Ho, has been summoned by law enforcement, with repairs expected to take about 10 days.
Kim criticized the accident as a result of “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism,” warning that those responsible would face consequences at a plenary meeting next month.
This incident follows the recent unveiling of a similar 5,000-ton destroyer named Choe Hyon, which Kim called a “breakthrough” for modernizing North Korea’s navy.
North Korea rarely publicly discloses such accidents, making this announcement unusual amid the country’s tightly controlled information environment.
