North Korea has successfully refloated and moored its new destroyer at the port of Chongjin, following a humiliating incident in late May when the vessel partially sank during a failed launch ceremony. The mishap provoked a furious reaction from leader Kim Jong-un, who labeled the event a “criminal act” and demanded harsh punishment for those responsible, along with a full restoration of the ship ahead of a key party congress.
The news was first reported by the official KCNA news agency, but satellite imagery verified by the specialized website 38North and assessments by the South Korean military confirmed that the vessel had been righted and was now upright in the port.
According to South Korean military sources, the destroyer will soon be moved to a shipyard in Rajin, where repairs are expected to take between seven and ten days. Regime-aligned technicians are already examining the hull to assess the extent of the damage.
Official propaganda insists on a “flawless restoration” of the ship before the upcoming political event. Jo Chun Ryong, a senior official of the Workers’ Party, stressed that this demand comes directly from Kim himself.
The incident revealed not only serious technical shortcomings in North Korea’s military-industrial complex but also the brutal consequences faced by those who fail under Kim’s regime. State media reported the arrest of at least four officials, including the deputy director of the Party’s Munitions Industry Department. They are accused of an “unpardonable criminal act” and could face severe punishment.
From Seoul, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Sung Joon said that “North Koreans righted the ship this week and appear to be conducting drainage operations and damage assessments.” He added that the duration of the repairs will depend on whether critical components—such as the keel, essential for the ship’s stability—were compromised.
This marks North Korea’s second known destroyer. The first was unveiled in April at the port of Nampo during an event that featured missile tests overseen by Kim. These are nuclear-capable vessels, designed to launch both ballistic and cruise missiles and equipped with anti-aircraft and anti-ship systems.
Despite having a navy that lags technologically behind its rivals, Pyongyang is pushing to modernize its fleet in a bid to enhance its deterrence capabilities and expand its offensive reach.
South Korean defense analysts believe the new destroyer may have been built with Russian assistance, as part of a deepening military alliance between the two nations since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In exchange for supplying Russia with artillery shells, ballistic missiles, and potentially even military personnel, the Kim regime may be receiving technology transfers that significantly raise the threat it poses.
While Kim Jong-un continues to rule with an iron fist and keeps millions of his citizens in poverty, he justifies his relentless arms program by citing supposed threats from the United States and South Korea. His next goal: to develop an operational nuclear-powered submarine as the latest step in his regime’s aggressive militarization plan.
