North Korea has successfully refloated a capsized warship after a botched launch drew rare public fury from leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported Friday.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the 5,000-tonne destroyer had now “safely entered the water vertically” and was “moored at the pier,” following a labor-intensive recovery operation.
The vessel is expected to undergo repairs ahead of a key military meeting chaired by Kim and attended by senior officials.
Satellite imagery released by 38 North and NK News, two independent organizations that monitor North Korea, showed the warship upright at the pier before it began floating again in the harbour roughly three hours later. Analysts observed North Korean workers using manual tethers and barrage balloons to slowly rebalance the vessel.
The incident occurred around two weeks ago during what Pyongyang had hoped would be a high-profile naval launch — part of Kim’s push to modernize the country’s navy. Instead, the vessel tipped over during the ceremony, reportedly in front of Kim himself, causing severe embarrassment.
Kim did not hold back in his response, calling the failed launch a “criminal act” and condemning the responsible parties for their “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism.” He claimed the mishap had “seriously damaged the dignity and pride of the nation.”
At least four officials, including Ri Hyong-son, the deputy director of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Munitions Industry Department, have been arrested. Ri, who also sits on the powerful Central Military Commission, is a key figure in the country’s military development programs.
While North Korea has not confirmed what punishment awaits those arrested, the regime has a long history of imposing harsh penalties, including forced labor or execution, for officials accused of high-profile failures.
Analysts suggest Kim’s swift and unusually public reaction reflects the regime’s intense focus on military modernization and the symbolic weight the failed launch carried. Just weeks before the mishap, Pyongyang had showcased a similar vessel at another naval event, with Kim hailing it as a “breakthrough” that would be deployed by early next year.
“North Korea is deeply invested in projecting itself as a rising military power,” said Jihoon Yu, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. “This failure undermines that image, which explains the severity of Kim’s response.”
As North Korea pushes forward with its weapons development, including recent tests of submarine-launched missiles and nuclear-capable drones — the regime appears determined to learn from its mistakes, no matter the cost.
