North Korea's second naval destroyer is damaged in a failed launch at a ceremony attended by President Kim Jong-un

North Korea's second naval destroyer was damaged in its failed launch to the water this week, state media reported on Thursday, in an embarrassment for leader Kim Jong-un as he pushes to modernise his naval forces.It's not common for North Korea to acknowledge military-related setbacks, but observers say the disclosure of the failed ship launch suggests that Mr. Kim is serious about his naval advancement program and confident of ultimately achieving its objectives.

- GNS News Agency, May 28

During a launching event at the northeastern port of Chongjin on Wednesday (May 21, 2025), the newly built 5,000-ton-class destroyer became unbalanced and was punctured in its bottom sections after a transport cradle on the stern section slid off first and became stuck, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

KCNA didn't provide details on what caused the problem, the severity of the damage or whether anyone was injured.According to KCNA, Mr. Kim, who was present at the ceremony, blamed military officials, scientists, and shipyard operators for a ‘serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and un-scientific empiricism’. Mr. Kim called for a ruling Workers’ Party meeting slated for late June to address their ‘irresponsible errors’.“It's a shameful thing. But the reason why North Korea disclosed the incident is it wants to show it's speeding up the modernization of its navy forces and expresses its confidence that it can eventually build a greater navy,” said Moon Keun-sik, a navy expert who teaches at Seoul's Hanyang University.