Former North Korean commander dismissed over botched war ship launch back in media

Kim Myong-sik, the former commander of North Korea’s Navy who was reportedly dismissed following the disastrous launch of the Kang Kon destroyer, has unexpectedly reappeared in North Korean state media, reigniting speculation about his standing within the regime.

The former admiral was prominently featured in a rebroadcast of the state documentary whose name roughly translates to “The Journey of Devotion to the People: A New Transformation in 2024,” aired by Korean Central Television (KCTV) on June 29. The program, which originally premiered on Jan. 29, included scenes showing Kim Myong-sik accompanying leader Kim Jong-un during on-site military guidance visits. Notably, the rebroadcast did not censor his appearances, despite earlier indications that he had fallen from grace.

The controversy surrounding Kim Myong-sik stems from a major incident on May 22, when the newly launched 5,000-ton-class Kang Kon destroyer tipped over at the Chongjin Shipyard. The vessel sustained serious damage in front of Kim Jong-un, who reportedly reacted furiously, branding it a “grave accident.” The incident triggered a wave of disciplinary action across the naval command and shipbuilding leadership.

Although no official announcement was made about Kim Myong-sik’s dismissal, state media confirmed that Park Kwang-seop had taken over as navy commander. Kim Myong-sik’s image had also been removed from photos of Kim Jong-un’s March inspection of shipbuilding work.

Also absent was Park Jong-chon, one of the top military officials in North Korea, who had previously presided over the initial launch of the Kang Kon. Park had presided over the launching ceremony of the Choe Hyon destroyer in April. During that event, he read an order from the Central Military Commission and passed it to the East Sea Fleet commander, while Defense Minister No Kwang-chol cut the launch rope.

On June 12, North Korea held a launching ceremony, saying that the Kang Kon had been completely restored, and then released a related report on June 13. On the same day, the KCTV footage showed a scene of General Secretary Kim Myong-sik supervising the shipbuilding project at the shipyard in March, but he was deleted.

U.S.-based outlet NK News noted that deleting individuals from official media is rare in North Korea and last occurred in 2013 with the purge of Jang Song-thaek. The report raised the possibility that those edited out had been permanently dismissed or even imprisoned or executed.

Kim Myong-sik’s sudden reappearance, however, has sparked various interpretations. While one theory suggests the footage may have been mistakenly left unedited, others argue that since the documentary predates the destroyer accident, it may have been deemed unrelated and thus spared from censorship.

Given that the North’s Propaganda and Agitation Department oversees all content closely, the likelihood of a simple oversight appears slim. Alongside Kim Myong-sik’s dismissal, other shipyard officials — including Hong Gil-ho, Chongjin Shipyard chief, Kang Jeong-cheol, chief engineer, Han Kyung-hak, assembly line director, and Kim Yong-hak, administrative manager — were reportedly detained, though their fates remain undisclosed.