Kim Jong-un Ensures North Korean Warship Launching Accident Was Brought To The Ruling Party Meeting

JAKARTA - Leader Kim Jong-un denounced the launch of the destroyer on Wednesday, calling it intolerable and destroying North Korea's dignity.

Leader Kim denounced officials for the "serious accident" that occurred during the launch ceremony of a new destroyer on Wednesday, describing it as an intolerable "criminal act", according to state state media (KCNA).

In the incident at the Chongjin Shipyard, the 5,000-ton destroyer lost balance while aboard a flat carriage, destroying parts of its bottom, KCNA reported as quoted by Kyodo News May 22.

Leader Kim said accidents caused by "absolute, irresponsible and unscientific empirism that are beyond the possibility" caused "our country's dignity and self-esteem to collapse in an instant," the KCNA report.

He warned that "unresponsible errors" of those responsible must be handled in a plenary meeting of the ruling Korean Workers' Party, which will be held in late June, and ordered ship repairs before the party's plenary meeting, as well as investigations into the matter.

Leader Kim stressed that repairing the destroyer was "not only a practical problem but also a political issue directly related to the country's authorities."

Meanwhile, the South Korean military said the warship was lying tilted in the water after a failed launch.

South Korean and US intelligence authorities have previously monitored the activity, Seoul Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Sung-jun said at a briefing.

In a report last week on preparations for the latest launch, US-based 38 North said it appeared the ship was due to be launched from the dock.

Such methods have never previously been observed in the launch of warships in North Korea, according to military analysts.

"The use of this launch method could be a must, because the dock where the ship is built does not have a slope" to move the ship's stern first into the water, the 38 North report said.

Commercial satellite imagery from the shipyard the day before launch showed the destroyer was positioned at the dock with a support ship beside it and its missile tube magazine open.

Separately, North Korean expert based in Seoul said Pyongyang's disclosure was very fast.

"It shows again Kim Jong-un's style of government that stops the spread of negative rumors and controls officials more firmly by being open about it than hiding it," said Cheong Seong-chang of Sejong Institute.

In late April, Leader Kim attended the launch ceremony of a new 5,000-ton destroyer at a shipyard in the western port city of Nampho and hailed the event as a "bove in naval modernization".

The multipurpose warship Choe Hyon, named after an anti-Japan revolutionary fighter, is equipped with a system to launch supersonic cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles.

Leader Kim said the ship would be deployed by the navy next year, according to KCNA.