North Korea: Failed launch has consequences
Following a serious mishap during the launch of a warship in North Korea , at least three shipyard employees have been arrested. According to the state-controlled news agency KCNA, senior executives are being blamed for the accident. Among them is the chief engineer of the Chongjin Shipyard.
The 5,000-ton destroyer sustained significant damage during its launch on Wednesday – in front of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un . Satellite images show the warship lying on its side, partially covered by blue tarpaulins and partially underwater. According to KCNA, parts of the ship's hull were crushed. The fact that the state agency is even reporting on such a sensitive accident is considered extraordinary.
"Embarrassment" for Kim Jong UnMilitary experts assessed the accident as an embarrassment for "Supreme Leader" Kim and the North Korean Navy. The destroyer is unlikely to be commissioned for the foreseeable future.
Kim himself spoke of a "criminal act" caused by "absolute carelessness" and intolerable irresponsibility. The incident had brought "the dignity and self-respect" of the North Korean state to a collapse.
Kim emphasized that the immediate repair of the destroyer was not just a practical matter, but a political necessity and directly linked to the authority of the state. He ordered that the ship be restored to working order before a key meeting of the ruling Workers' Party in June.
Relations between North and South Korea are currently extremely tense. Formally, both countries remain at war, as the Korean War (1950-53) ended only with an armistice. A peace treaty has not been signed to date. Last year, Kim described South Korea as the "main enemy" during a keynote speech.
wa/haz (dpa, rtr)
dw
