Kim Jong Un condemned a recent malfunction during the launch of a new destroyer, attributing it to carelessness. He prioritizes restoring the warship before a significant party meeting, marking an unusual public acknowledgment of failure.
Kim Jong Un Critiques 'Serious Incident' at Warship Launch Amidst Naval Ambitions
Kim Jong Un Critiques 'Serious Incident' at Warship Launch Amidst Naval Ambitions
North Korea's leader expresses disappointment over a mishap during a warship launch, emphasizing accountability and national pride.
North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, has publicly decried a "serious accident" that occurred during a warship launch on Thursday, which he characterized as a "criminal act" unacceptable to the nation. The incident involved significant damage to the bottom structure of the new 5,000-ton destroyer, causing instability in the vessel, according to state media reports.
Present at the launch in the eastern port city of Chongjin, Kim expressed that the failure "severely damaged the dignity and pride of our nation in an instant." He has mandated that the ship be repaired ahead of an important party meeting scheduled for June and has stated that those responsible for the design of the warship will face repercussions for the incident.
While state media refrained from reporting any injuries or casualties resulting from the launch malfunction, Kim criticized what he deemed "absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism." He indicated that an assessment of these "irresponsible errors" would be evaluated in the upcoming plenary meeting, although the nature of potential punishments remains uncertain given the authoritarian nature of the regime. In North Korea, individuals can face severe repercussions for various perceived infractions, including those related to simple cultural expressions.
It's notable that such public admissions of failure in North Korea are rare, though the country has previously acknowledged other local mishaps. Last November, officials were criticized for a mid-air explosion of a military satellite, which was labeled a "gravest failure." Similarly, earlier this month, a failed satellite launch was attributed to an "error in the emergency basting system," which was downplayed as "not a big issue."
This latest incident follows North Korea's recent presentation of the new destroyer on the west coast—claimed to be capable of carrying more than 70 missiles—and a significant part of Kim's aspirations to modernize the nation's naval forces, with deployment planned for early next year.
