Kim Jong-un publicly denounces failed destroyer launch, orders missile test next day

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday that the accident took place during the ceremony on Wednesday at the Chongjin Shipyard in North Hamgyong Province, where Kim was present.

“Due to the inexperienced command and operational carelessness in the course of the launch, the launch slide of the stern has departed first and stranded as the flatcar failed to move in parallel, some sections of the warship’s bottom crushed to destroy the balance of the warship and the bow couldn’t leave the shipway, leading to a serious accident,” said the report.

The destroyer launched at the ceremony appears to be of the same class as the 5,000-ton Choe Hyon, which North Korea launched on April 25.

“South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities had been tracking and monitoring signs of the launch of a large vessel at North Korea’s Chongjin Port in advance,” said Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a regular briefing at the South Korean Ministry of National Defense on Thursday. “We assess that the side launch has failed.

“Judging by the size and scale, it appears to be equipped similarly to the Choe Hyon-class destroyer, and it is currently lying on its side in the water.”

Kim, who witnessed the entire incident, reportedly “made stern assessment saying that it was a serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which is out of the bounds of possibility and could not be tolerated.”

He also said that “the immediate restoration of the destroyer is not merely a practical issue but a political issue directly related to the authority of the state.” and added that repairs should be “completed unconditionally” in order to “make the ardent patriotic loyalty and labour devotion of the workers of the Chongjin Shipyard and the Rajin Shipyard bear fruitful as proud feats conducive to bolstering up the defence capabilities.”

Kim described the accident as an event “that brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse.”

Kim “warned solemnly” that the “irresponsible errors” of the Munitions Industry Department of the Worker’s Party Central Committee, the Mechanical Institute of the State Academy of Sciences, Kim Chaek University of Technology, the central ship designing institute and other relevant units and the Chongjin Shipyard would be “dealt with” at the June plenary meeting of the Worker’s Party Central Committee.

The Politburo of the Workers’ Party Central Committee will convene the 12th plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee late next month to review the first half of this year and discuss projects for the latter half.

Regarding this, an official from the Ministry of Unification told reporters that the damage “does not appear to be severe enough to render the ship completely nonfunctional.” The reason Kim Jong-un ordered emergency repairs before the party’s June plenary meeting is likely that he judged that the work could be completed by then, according to the official.

Experts suggest that the accident may have stemmed from Kim Jong-un’s impatience to achieve outcomes that either match or surpass those of his predecessors, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-il.

This year marks the final year of the five-year plan for the development of the economy and defense presented at the 8th Party Congress in January 2021.

Observers say that even the defense sector is falling short of Kim’s expectations, despite its achievements. His push for speed likely led to the mishap, as he pressured the project for results. His obsession with advanced destroyers is also seen as an effort to urge Russia to compensate the North for its troop support once the war in Ukraine concludes.

This is not the first accident resulting from Kim’s obsession with rapid progress. In May 2015, early in his rule, hundreds were killed or injured when a newly built 23-story apartment building collapsed in Pyongyang’s Pyongchon District during a construction drive. At the time, Kim promoted the slogan of “Mallima speed,” intended to surpass the “Chollima speed” of previous leaders, and the subsequent shoddy construction was cited as the cause of the disaster.

Chollima means a horse that can travel 1,000 miles, while a Mallima means a horse that can travel 10 times further than the former.

North Korea’s unusually swift disclosure of the accident is likely due to the realization that it could not be hidden, as the United States and the international community had been tracking the destroyer’s launch via satellite imagery. Authorities may have concluded that informing the public first and pushing for rapid restoration would have less impact on domestic morale than letting the news be revealed from abroad.

“The fact that Kim warned the issue would be addressed at the plenary meeting highlights the severity of the accident and aims to heighten tension within [state and party] organizations,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies. “It seems intended to send a message both domestically and abroad that North Korea is determined to strengthen its national defense and will not tolerate failure.”

Meanwhile, North Korea fired several cruise missiles into the East Sea earlier in the day. The launch comes 14 days after the regime last fired several short-range ballistic missiles on May 8. Observers speculate that the launch may have been intended to shift attention away from the failed launch ceremony and restore order in the military.

“Several were fired this morning, and South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are currently analyzing the technical specifications,” according to a military official.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG, CHUNG YEONG-GYO, LEE YU-JUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]