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North Korea detains officials over warship accident, state media says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
North Korea detains officials after a warship launch accident witnessed by Kim Jong Un, who vows accountability. The mishap occurred at Chongjin port.
SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea has detained shipyard officials responsible for a recent major accident during the launch of a new warship, state media said on Sunday.
The failed launch that crippled the 5,000-tonne warship was witnessed by leader Kim Jong Un who said the accident damaged the country's dignity and vowed to punish those found responsible.
The mishap likely occurred in front of a large crowd at the northeastern port of Chongjin, increasing the public humiliation for Kim who tried to show off military might, experts say.
As the investigation into the case intensified, law enforcement authorities arrested the chief engineer of the Chongjin Shipyard among others, state KCNA news agency reported on Sunday.
Satellite imagery shows the warship, covered in blue tarps, lying on its side, with the stern swung out into the harbor, but the bow remaining on the side slipway, according to the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Kim has ordered the ship restored before a ruling party meeting in June. KCNA said the rehabilitation plan was pushing ahead.
Against U.S. military buildup in the region, North Korea's armed forces "will thoroughly contain and control all sorts of military threats from the enemy countries", KCNA said in a separate dispatch citing the policy chief at the defence ministry.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
North Korea experienced a major accident during the launch of a new warship, which was witnessed by leader Kim Jong Un.
The chief engineer of the Chongjin Shipyard and other officials were arrested as part of the investigation into the accident.
Kim Jong Un stated that the accident damaged the country's dignity and vowed to punish those responsible.
Kim has ordered that the ship be restored before a ruling party meeting in June, and a rehabilitation plan is reportedly underway.
North Korea's armed forces have stated they will thoroughly contain and control all sorts of military threats from enemy countries.
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