North Korea says it has raised a capsized destroyer upright as it
continues repair
[June 06, 2025]
By KIM TONG-HYUNG
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday it had righted a
capsized destroyer and moored it at a pier in the northeastern port of
Chongjin as it continues to repair the new warship leader Kim Jong Un
has described as a significant asset for his nuclear-armed military.
The report by North Korean state media aligned with South Korean
military assessments and recent commercial satellite images.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said experts will
closely examine the ship’s hull before beginning the next phase of
restoration, which will take place at a dry dock at the neighboring port
of Rajin and is expected to last seven to 10 days.
Satellite images taken Thursday by Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The
Associated Press showed the stricken destroyer upright and floating. It
wasn’t immediately clear from the image just how much damage had been
done to the vessel, which had been in the water for days after the
failed launch. However, the ship did not appear to be noticeably
listing, meaning Pyongyang is likely able to send it onward to the other
port to inspect the vessel’s electronics.
Jo Chun Ryong, a senior official from the ruling Workers’ Party, told
the agency that the “perfect restoration of the destroyer will be
completed without fail” before a major party congress in late June, a
deadline set by Kim.
Outside experts say it remains unclear how severely the 5,000-ton-class
destroyer was damaged during a botched launching ceremony in late May,
which triggered a furious response from Kim, who called the failure a
“criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and
unscientific empiricism.”
North Korean law enforcement authorities have detained at least four
officials over the incident, including the vice director of the Workers’
Party’s munitions industry department, according to state media. The
North’s main military committee said those responsible would be held
accountable for their “unpardonable criminal act.”
Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff,
told reporters Thursday that the South’s military assesses that the
North Koreans righted the ship earlier this week and are likely
conducting drainage operations while examining the damage.
“The nature and duration of the repair process will vary, depending on
internal repairs, additional work or whether the incident affected the
keel,” Lee said, referring to the ship’s structural backbone. “This
could also affect how the ship is used going forward.”
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This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows a refloated North
Korean destroyer after it suffered a failed launch while it was
being put to sea in Chongjin, North Korea, Thursday, June 5, 2025.
(Planet Labs PBC via AP)
The damaged warship was North Korea’s second known destroyer and
seen as a crucial asset toward Kim’s goal of modernizing its naval
forces. It was in the same class as the country’s first destroyer
unveiled in April, which experts assessed as the North’s largest and
most advanced warship to date. Kim lavishly praised that ship, which
was launched in the western port of Nampo, saying it advances his
goal of expanding the military’s operations range and nuclear strike
capabilities.
State media described that ship as designed to handle various
weapons systems, including anti-air and anti-ship weapons as well as
nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. Kim also supervised
test-firings of missiles from the destroyer afterward, and state
media said the ship was expected to enter active duty early next
year.
While North Korea’s naval forces are widely seen as far inferior to
those of its rivals, analysts say a destroyer equipped with modern
missile and radar systems could still boost the North’s offensive
and defensive capabilities.
South Korean officials and experts say the North’s destroyer was
likely built with Russian assistance as the two countries’ military
cooperation have intensified amid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
war on Ukraine. Kim’s government has supplied Russia with thousands
of troops and large shipments of military equipment, including
artillery and ballistic missiles, to support its warfighting.
Washington and Seoul have expressed concern that, in return, Kim may
seek Russian technology transfers that could enhance the threat
posed by his nuclear-armed military.
Kim met with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in
Pyongyang on Wednesday in the latest sign of the countries’
deepening ties.
Kim has framed his arms buildup as a response to perceived threats
from the United States and South Korea, which have been expanded
joint military exercises in reaction to the North’s advancing
nuclear program. Kim says the acquisition of a nuclear-powered
submarine would be his next big step in strengthening the North
Korean navy.
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