Camilla Jessen
A failed warship launch witnessed by Kim Jong Un sparks criminal arrests and a sweeping investigation as Pyongyang scrambles to assign blame.
North Korea has arrested three senior figures from the Chongjin shipyard following a failed launch of the regime’s newest destroyer, state media reported Sunday.
The incident unfolded in front of leader Kim Jong Un during a formal unveiling.
It has later been branded a “serious accident” by Pyongyang and has triggered a full-scale internal investigation.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), those detained include the shipyard’s chief engineer, the head of its construction workshop, and an administrative director.
All three are accused of being directly responsible for the technical failures that led to the ship’s partial sinking during its ceremonial launch.
A Launch Gone Wrong
The destroyer was built as part of North Korea’s ongoing naval modernization efforts.
It suffered severe structural damage when part of its hull was crushed during the side-launch process, a common technique used to deploy large vessels into water.
Kim Jong Un, who personally attended the ceremony, reportedly condemned the failed launch as a “criminal act,” according to KCNA as cited by AFP and Romanian news agency Digi24.
The ship is now visibly listing in the water, a South Korean military official confirmed.
U.S. and South Korean intelligence agencies described the launch as a botched attempt, saying the destroyer’s poor balance and flawed engineering contributed to its failure to stabilize after hitting the water.
While KCNA said Friday that a comprehensive investigation is underway, experts believe the regime will use the incident to reinforce discipline and deter future errors in North Korea’s tightly controlled defense industries.