North Korea warship launch failure: Four North Korean officials arrested over failed warship launch in front of Kim Jong Un, face imminent execution
ADVERTISEMENT
How did the launch go so wrong?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
What could happen to the arrested officials?
FAQs
A North Korean warship launch went very wrong, and now high-ranking officials are paying the price. The destroyer tipped over and sank on its first trip, which made Kim Jong Un very angry.The failed warship launch that damaged a newly built destroyer led to the arrest of four North Korean officials. People see the disaster as a big step back for North Korea's plans to modernize its navy.The lives of those four North Korean officials detained for the disastrous destroyer launch are in grave danger.Days after the nameless 5,000-ton destroyer's disastrous launch, which caused the ship to capsize onto its side and damage its hull, the arrests were made.According to North Korean experts, Kim Jong Un could even kill four officials who were detained. "I would say there's a very good chance they'd be executed," stated Joseph S. Bermudez, a North Korean defense analyst at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, as quoted in a report by Business Insider.The rapidity with which state-run North Korean media reported on the incident that damaged its newest warship and identified the officials involved was one startling feature. The announcements' high level of publicity implies Kim is "very upset," Bermudez continued.Bermudez said the Choe Hyon-class destroyer advances Kim's goal of turning North Korea's coastal navy into a blue-water fleet. He called that project's setback a "slap in the face" for Kim.It is thought that the mechanism that rolled the ship into the water broke down, causing the aft portion of the ship to lie in the water and flood while the bow of the ship became stuck on the pier.The chief engineer of the shipyard, the head of the hull construction workshop, and a deputy manager for administrative affairs were all held directly responsible for the arrests, which were reported by state-run media.First on the list was Ri Hyong Son, who was also arrested while serving as the vice director of the Korean Workers' Party Central Committee's Munitions Industry Department.It was one of two next-generation Choe Hyon-class destroyers. Bermudez told BI that the eastern Chongjin Shipyard, which rarely builds large warships, built the second.North Korea tried a sideways launch instead of drydock or a slipway, which the workers may not have been used to with a larger vessel, he said.According to satellite photos taken on Monday, there was evidence of a dredging operation at the harbor entrance, and the ship's bow was still stuck on the pier.Exactly what will happen to the officials named is unknown. Although the legal system can impose a variety of penalties, "due process" is frequently a deterrent. North Korea put two unidentified nuclear power plant construction researchers to death in January for not finishing their project and raising the bar for technology. Their less experienced coworkers were taken to what is thought to be a political prison camp.Whatever the penalty, one thing is certain that the officials' families will also be impacted. According to the reasoning of the North Korean legal system, convictions are "because of a significant family flaw," which implies that the family must be dealt with for three generations.Experts believe it is very likely, particularly given Kim Jong Un's swift and public outrage.A botched sideways launch tilted and flooded the vessel, most likely due to inadequate preparation at an inexperienced shipyard.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- The Hindu
Telangana CM Revanth and his Cabinet colleagues meet Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and their Cabinet colleagues met with All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday (July 24, 2025). Mr. Reddy is scheduled to make a presentation to Congress MPs on the State's caste survey and efforts to provide 42% reservation for Backward Class (BC) communities in education, politics and employment. He earlier said that they will mobilise support from like-minded MPs to mount pressure on the Centre to clear the bill providing the 42% reservation. The State conducted 50-day door-to-door survey to collect details for Socio, Caste, Economic, Employment and Political Survey. The Chief Minister made a statement on the survey results in the Assembly on February 4, 2025.
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
North Korea prepares for 'real war', Kim Jong Un's new orders amid Russia-Ukraine war
North Korea's Kim Jong Un has issued a new directive for the North Korean military amid the escalating attacks between Ukraine and Russia. As per state media reports on Thursday, the Supreme Leader has called on the North Korean military to 'prepare for real war' and 'be capable of destroying the enemy in every battle.' The two heavily sanctioned nations also signed a military deal last year.(AP File) The statement by Kim comes after North Korea's deployment of defence troops and weapons to aid Russia during its nearly 30-month-long offensive with Ukraine. State media had also reported earlier that Kim Jong Un had voiced 'unconditional support' for Moscow in the nation's war with Ukraine as a part of his recent talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Visuals from the state run Korean Central Television on Thursday showed army troops from artillery units firing shells towards the sea, with Kim looking through binoculars from an observation post. Although he was guarded by two military officials, the location of the event was not disclosed. North Korea extends its helping hand towards Moscow South Korean and Western intelligence agencies claimed that Pyongyang had sent more than 10,000 security troops to Russia's Kursk region in the last year. Alongside troops, it had also reportedly furnished multiple artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems. The Guardian quoted Ukraine's military intelligence agency saying that North Korea bolstered Russia's ammunitions and that it supplied 40% of the same used by Russia in its war against Kyiv, which in turn has dramatically increased arms production at home, with Moscow paying Pyongyang directly. Fighting in the war hit regions on the borders of the Russian territory, about 600 North Korean soldiers have reportedly lost their lives and several others have been wounded, South Korean officials at Seoul said. It was also reported that a North Korean KN-23 missile, which the country had designed to strike South Korean targets, had hit a residential building in Kyiv, killing 12 civilians. Global sanctions draw North Korea, Russia closer After North Korea ushered in support for Russia's offensive with Ukraine, Moscow has transferred advanced weaponry and has helped upgrade the accuracy of North Korea's KN-23 ballistic missiles, which have since targeted Ukrainian urban centres, said the report by The Guardian. The two heavily sanctioned nations also signed a military deal last year. The deal comprised a mutual defence clause, during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea's Pyongyang. (With agency inputs)
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Real war': North Korea calls for preparedness for military action ‘anytime'; ramps up defence exercises
Kim Jong Un (PTI) North Korea's Kim Jong Un on Thursday urged his armed forces to remain combat ready. The Supreme Leader oversaw an artillery firing drill, according to Pyongyang's state media. His comments come amid North Korea's continued military support for Russia in its ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. He called on his soldiers to be ready 'for real war' at 'anytime' and have the capacity to 'destroy the enemy in every battle,' reports the state media, reports AFP. Video footage broadcast by state media showed artillery unit soldiers firing shells into the sea. Kim was seen observing the drill through binoculars from an observation post, accompanied by two senior military officials. However, the exact location of Wednesday's exercise was not disclosed. Around 10,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to Russia's Kursk region last year along with artillery, missiles and long-range rocket systems, as per South Korean and Western intelligence. At least 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded while fighting for Russia. North Korea has previously expressed its allegiance to Russia, reiterating that it is 'ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis,' reported KCNA. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 3 minutes, if you own a mouse Undo Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov earlier warned the US, South Korea and Japan against forming a security alliance with North Korea. 'We warn against exploiting these ties to build alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea, and of course, Russia,' he said as per Russia's Tass news agency. Lavrov's remarks come amid US, South Korea and Japan bolstering their military drills in retaliation to North Korea expanding its nuclear program. The three allies also conducted a joint air exercise near the Korean Peninsula in recent days, featuring US nuclear-capable bombers.
