North Korea has arrested three shipyard officials following the failed launch of a new 5,000-ton destroyer at a shipyard in Chongjin, state media reported Sunday.
The warship was being launched during a ceremony at the northeastern port of Chongjin on Wednesday when a support cradle at the stern gave way, causing the vessel to tilt and crush parts of its hull. The bow remained stuck on the launch ramp.
North Korea has not disclosed the extent of the damage to the vessel, but satellite imagery from Airbus Defence and Space, captured by @osc_london, shows the warship partially submerged at the Chongjin Shipyard following the failed launch.
North Korea’s latest naval destroyer has been significantly damaged prior to its launch. In a rare acknowledgment, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported yesterday an incident occurred with a new destroyer in Chongjin, which was close to being launched. pic.twitter.com/0PfuqehYnF
— Open Source Centre (@osc_london) May 22, 2025
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) identified those detained as the chief engineer of the Chongjin shipyard where the vessel was built, along with the construction head and an administrative manager.
KCNA stated that the three were “responsible for the accident.”
An investigation into the incident, which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described as a “criminal act,” remains ongoing.
The damaged vessel is the second in a new class of North Korean destroyers. The first ship in the class, named Choe Hyon, was launched in April and is considered the country’s most advanced surface warship to date.
