logo
‘Serious' accident at North Korea warship launch: state media

‘Serious' accident at North Korea warship launch: state media

NZ Herald22-05-2025
It said the accident managed to 'destroy the balance of the warship'.
Kim watched the entire incident and declared it a 'criminal act caused by absolute carelessness', warning it 'could not be tolerated'.
He said the 'irresponsible errors' of officials responsible would be 'dealt with at the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee to be convened next month'.
South Korea's military said US and Seoul intelligence authorities assess that North Korea's 'side-launch attempt' of the ship failed.
'The side-launch method used in this case is no longer employed by South Korea's military,' Lee Sung-jun, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.
The vessel was listing in the water, Lee said, and based on its size and scale, it was believed to be similarly equipped to the 5000-tonne, destroyer-class warship Choe Hyon, which North Korea unveiled last month.
Last month, Pyongyang's state media ran images of Kim attending a launching ceremony of Choe Hyon with his daughter Ju Ae, considered by many experts to be his likely successor.
North Korea claimed the vessel was equipped with the 'most powerful weapons' and that it would 'enter into operation early next year'.
Some analysts said the ship could be equipped with short-range tactical missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads – although North Korea has not proven it has the ability to miniaturise its atomic arsenal.
Russian connection?
The South Korean military has said the Choe Hyon could have been developed with Russian help – possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight Ukraine.
Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, said the warship involved in Wednesday's accident may have also been constructed with Russian assistance.
Chongjin, the North Korean city where the launch ceremony was held, is close to Russia's Vladivostok port, he noted.
'It's also likely that the projected timeline for the vessel – including when assembly would be completed and the ship launched – was shared with the Russian side,' he told AFP.
'It appears the dock was hastily constructed, and multiple issues may have arisen during the shipbuilding process.
'With today's announcement, Pyongyang seems to be signalling not only to its own people, but also to the Russian side.'
Strengthening the navy
North Korea confirmed in April for the first time that it had deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow in the Ukraine war.
Moscow and Pyongyang recently announced that they had started building the first road bridge linking the two countries.
North Korea also launched a flurry of ballistic missiles last year in violation of UN sanctions.
In March, Kim inspected a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, asserting that 'radically' boosting the navy was a key part of Pyongyang's defensive strategy.
Kim called at the time for the modernisation of the country's surface and underwater naval forces, including the development of warships.
Pyongyang has previously claimed to be developing underwater nuclear attack drones, which could unleash a 'radioactive tsunami', but analysts have questioned whether it actually had such a weapon.
Washington – Seoul's key security ally – has in recent years ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of strategic US assets in the region to deter the North, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine.
Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an 'irreversible' nuclear weapons state and routinely denounces joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Zelensky introduces bill to 'uphold independence' of Ukraine's anti-graft bodies
Zelensky introduces bill to 'uphold independence' of Ukraine's anti-graft bodies

RNZ News

time13 hours ago

  • RNZ News

Zelensky introduces bill to 'uphold independence' of Ukraine's anti-graft bodies

By Dan Peleschuk and Yuliia Dysa , Reuters Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: AFP / John Thys President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday submitted draft legislation to restore the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, reversing course after an outburst of public criticism. Measures enacted earlier this week that established greater control by the prosecutor general, a political appointee, over the anti-corruption bureau NABU and the specialised prosecution unit SAPO had fuelled rare wartime protests and had thrown Kyiv's EU accession bid into question. The agencies said they had been involved in drafting the bill and urged Parliament to hold a vote as soon as possible. "The bill, submitted by the president of Ukraine as urgent, restores all procedural powers and guarantees of independence to the NABU and SAPO," they said in a statement. Zelensky, whose image as a tireless leader of the three-year-old war against Russia's invasion has been tarnished by the controversy, said the text of the new bill is "well-balanced". He also said that the bill guarantees "reliable protection of the law enforcement system against any Russian influence", in an apparent move to justify the law hurriedly passed on Tuesday. On Monday, security forces arrested two anti-corruption officials on suspicion of ties to Russia and launched sweeping searches of other employees. Critics had decried the move to give a Zelensky-appointed prosecutor control over the agencies, saying it looked like political pressure on the agencies. After the law was adopted, Zelensky faced a severe backlash, with thousands of people joining protests across the country, even though public gatherings are restricted by martial law. "It is important that we respect the position of all Ukrainians and are grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine," Zelensky said. In his nightly video address, Zelensky later said the bill had been discussed not only with the agencies concerned, but also with Ukrainian legal experts and officials from Ukraine's Western allies. The text, he said, would be presented to Western experts whose comments on the legislation were welcome. Zelensky also said the reaction of Ukrainians who joined protests in major cities was understandable. "It is important that Ukrainians react in such a worthy fashion to all events," he said. "Ukraine is a people who care." Ukraine's international allies had rushed to express vocal criticism to the earlier legislation. The International Monetary Fund said the law, curbing the agencies' authority, would be "very problematic" for the war-torn country's macroeconomic stability and growth. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz both had calls with Zelensky on Thursday, offering their countries' expertise on the new bill. "I invited Germany to join the expert review of the bill. Friedrich assured me of readiness to assist," Zelensky said on X. I spoke with @bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz. As always, a very good conversation. There is a willingness to help and continue supporting us. I informed him that I have already approved the draft bill guaranteeing the independence and effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions… Ruslan Stefanchuk, the chairman of Parliament, said it would be considered at the next plenary session, although MPs were meant to start their summer holiday this week. - Reuters

A deepening embrace since Russia's invasion of Ukraine signals a turnaround in the two countries' ties
A deepening embrace since Russia's invasion of Ukraine signals a turnaround in the two countries' ties

NZ Herald

time16 hours ago

  • NZ Herald

A deepening embrace since Russia's invasion of Ukraine signals a turnaround in the two countries' ties

Trade between the two countries exceeded US$240 billion ($396b) last year, up by two-thirds since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. China has supplied many of the drones and drone components used by Russia in the conflict. China's staunch support for Russia's economy has helped Moscow survive: Dozens of countries have barred Russia from much of the global financial system, upending its economy at home. China has had the opposite reaction to Russia's war on Ukraine. 'China-Russia relations represent the most stable, mature and strategically significant major-country relationship in the world today,' Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister, said this month after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. By backing Russia so enthusiastically, China's leaders have put new strain on their country's relationship with the European Union. If Beijing had distanced itself from Moscow, Europe might have turned towards China as United States President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on European goods this year. European Union leaders met Chinese officials last night NZT at a summit in Beijing. They were expected to ask again that Xi Jinping, China's top leader, reduce China's economic and industrial support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said this month that China's stance on the war in Ukraine would be 'a determining factor' for the bloc's relations with Beijing. 'China's unyielding support for Russia is creating heightened instability and insecurity here in Europe,' she said. 'We can say that China is de facto enabling Russia's war economy — we cannot accept this.' Shoppers take photos outside of a Russian-themed store in the border town of Manzhouli, in China's Inner Mongolia. China now makes 32% of the world's manufactured goods - more than the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and Britain combined. Photo / Andrea Verdelli, the New York Times Much of the trade between China and Russia has long run through Manzhouli. Russia built a rail line through the city into northeastern China in 1900. Today, trains and trucks from Russia cross into China, many of them carrying timber or freshly cut boards: pine for construction and furniture, white birch for chopsticks, aspen for framing concrete and sturdy elm for coal mine supports. The flow underscores Russia's diminished economic position. It is now functionally an economic satellite of China, dependent on Beijing for manufactured goods while selling raw materials that China could, if it wanted to, buy elsewhere. Almost 6% of the entire Russian economy now consists of exports to China. That is a proportion equalled by Iran, another country under international sanctions. As part of pressure on Russia to accept a ceasefire, Trump threatened last week to impose high tariffs or other sanctions on countries trading with Russia, although he did not name China. Manzhouli's official economic strategy — 'Russian supply, Chinese processing' — underlines Russia's evolution into a supplier of raw materials to China's vast manufacturing sector, which dwarfs Russia's own. Russia depends on China for clothing, electronics, even cars. China's northbound exports have risen 71% since the start of the Ukraine war. Visitors at Matryoshka Square, a theme park in the border town of Manzhouli. Much of the trade between China and Russia has long run through Manzhouli. Photo / Andrea Verdelli, the New York Times The trade alliance shows up in other contexts, too. State media in China has tilted strongly towards Russia in the Ukraine war. Russian television channels have been gradually squeezing out American channels in Chinese hotels. China's sympathies show up on store shelves in Manzhouli: Stalin-brand vodka and ground coffee are on sale, and one store even specialises in busts of past Soviet leaders and matryoshka dolls that resemble President Vladimir Putin. The new embrace signals a turnaround in the two countries' relationship. During the 1950s, Soviet advisers helped a mostly rural, underdeveloped China build many of its early steel mills, railroads and weapons factories. Now, China produces 32% of the world's manufactured goods — more than the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and Britain combined. Russia's share of global manufacturing? It's just 1.33%, even including Russia's weapons production, according to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. Trucks made in China parked at the border in Manzhouli. By late last summer, Chinese cars made up 60% of Russia's auto market, according to GlobalData Automotive. Photo / Andrea Verdelli, the New York Times China is also benefitting from the imports. By buying timber and other goods from Russia, through Manzhouli, Beijing has been able to avoid buying imports from the US and its allies. China used to buy raw materials such as rapeseed from Canada, for example, but has shifted to purchasing more of these goods from Russia after Canada mostly sided with President Joe Biden last year and then with Trump in imposing higher tariffs on Chinese goods. China retaliated against Canada by imposing tariffs of 100% on imports of canola oil and canola meal from Canada. China also began a trade case against Canadian rapeseed, targeting some of Canada's largest exports to China. At the Manzhouli Xinfeng Grain and Oil Industry Limited Company, bright red forklift trucks move sacks of supplies. The highly automated factory, less than 1.5km from the border, removes the hulls from Russian rapeseed and presses them to make canola oil. Huang Baoqiang, the managing director of a nearby lumber mill, said his company bought large quantities of timber from neighbouring Siberia and turned them into bed slats and other furniture components. The US Treasury Department has tried to block the use of dollars for transactions with Russia, but Huang said he was able to pay with Chinese renminbi or Russian roubles through VTB Bank. The bank, one of Russia's largest financial institutions, faced sanctions by the US and the EU soon after Russia invaded Ukraine. But while Russia and China increasingly trade with each other, there are a few signs of tension. The rail yard in Manzhouli. Soviet advisers helped build steel mills, railways and arms factories in China in the 1950s, but now Russia supplies raw materials in exchange for manufactured goods. Photo / Andrea Verdelli, the New York Times Russia has banned the shipment of freshly cut pines to China. So the bark is removed from pines, and the logs are cut into boards at sawmills in Siberia, to the annoyance of businesspeople such as Huang. China, in turn, imposed tariffs on imports of Russian coal at the start of last year after state-owned Chinese coal mines expanded output and complained of Russian competition. The biggest stress in the trade relationship involves cars. In 2021, Chinese cars weren't very popular in Russia. But after the invasion of Ukraine, Western automakers withdrew from the country, and Chinese automakers slashed prices. Chinese cars captured 60% of the Russian market by late summer last year, according to GlobalData Automotive, a research firm. Russia's own automakers had initially been expected to benefit from the retreat of their Western competitors and were disappointed by China's success. They persuaded Moscow to start collecting a US$7500 fee on imported cars. The fee, which started on October 1, has an exemption: It does not apply to used cars purchased by Russian citizens for their personal use. China's car exports to Russia in the first five months of this year plunged 58% from a year earlier. 'It's a big bucket of cold water on what Chinese automakers expected to be their top market for years to come,' said Stephen Dyer, head of the Asia automotive practice at AlixPartners, a consulting firm. Chinese entrepreneurs in Manzhouli are already exploiting the used car loophole in Russia's rules. A block from the Russian border, a year-old palace of a used car showroom in Manzhouli has towering bronze doors that open up to a 25m-high hall, all designed to lure Russian shoppers who want to beat the US$7500 fee. On sale are barely used BMWs, Land Rovers, Volkswagens and other popular brands no longer sold in Russia, as well as Chinese brands such as Zeekr and Hongqi. The staff explained that new cars were not available — but that used cars only a month old could be purchased and shipped. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Keith Bradsher Photographs by: Andrea Verdelli ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES

‘He really miscalculated the reaction' - new curbs on anti-corruption watchdogs have alarmed Ukrainians
‘He really miscalculated the reaction' - new curbs on anti-corruption watchdogs have alarmed Ukrainians

NZ Herald

time18 hours ago

  • NZ Herald

‘He really miscalculated the reaction' - new curbs on anti-corruption watchdogs have alarmed Ukrainians

The protesters arrived with their children and dogs, on prosthetic legs and in wheelchairs, carrying blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags and shouting for the Government to revoke the law, which has stoked immense public outrage, alarmed former officials and raised consternation among Ukraine's European allies who are becoming the country's main lifeline for weapons and economic aid amid uncertain support from the United States. A woman stands wrapped in a Ukrainian flag during Wednesday's protests. Photo / Ed Ram, for the Washington Post 'This is how democracy should look,' said Anton Avrynskyi, 41, a tech entrepreneur who joined the crowds with his wife, Vitaliia, and their 9-year-old son, Ivan. During wartime, the country must stay united behind the president, he said - but should also not fear correcting his mistakes. 'We are here to help him not make wrong decisions,' Avrynskyi said. The law has put a spotlight on Ukraine's history of endemic corruption, which has long been used by the country's detractors to criticise it. It could also affect Ukraine's candidacy to join the European Union. As crowds gathered for a second night in a row, Zelenskyy showed signs of imminent backtracking. The President said he had 'heard what people are saying these days' and would propose 'a plan of concrete steps that could strengthen the rule of law in Ukraine'. He suggested a draft law that would ensure the independence of all of the country's anti-corruption institutions. The masses appeared unsatisfied with his response, and many said they were appalled by how quickly the Government rammed through the law without assessing public opinion, which some saw as a signal it was veering towards unchecked autocracy. Mariia Golota, 35, who is nearly nine months pregnant, carried a sign that read 'I want to give birth in a fair Ukraine'. 'We choose to live here and if you live here you have to fight for fair laws and transparency,' Golota said. The law seemed to be rushed through parliament so 'that maybe no one will notice', said her husband, Danylo Golota, who serves in Ukraine's Third Assault Brigade. 'Most people are ready to stand up and go protest and fight. We lost too much so we are not ready to just swallow something we don't like.' The demonstrators gathered in front of a theatre on Ivan Franko Square, near the presidential administration, in far greater numbers than the estimated 2000 people who protested on Wednesday, shouting, 'Shame!' The presidential headquarters now sit behind several checkpoints and are surrounded by small mountains of sandbags to protect against Russian airstrikes. The crowds sang the national anthem, chanted 'Glory to Ukraine's Armed Forces' and resurrected popular chants from revolutions past, including 'Together we are many - we cannot be defeated!' Some young people climbed onto the theatre's balconies, waving Ukrainian flags and leading the cheers. Others perched on fountains and statues or put out lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Oleh, 39, a Ukrainian soldier, lost his left leg in battle late last year. He said he joined the crowds because he fears the law will risk Ukraine's future in the European Union - the same future he fought for in the country's east until he stepped on a Russian antipersonnel mine near the city of Toretsk. 'It's just offensive even as a civilian,' Oleh said. 'From a military standpoint, it's also offensive that those boys are standing there fighting, and in-house this is what's happening.' Barbara Varvara, 18, walked with her dog, Manya, who was put up for adoption after she was wounded in the eastern Donetsk region several months ago. A sign around Manya's neck read: 'Soon, even dogs won't want to live here'. 'We have so much corruption in our country and we can't do anything,' Varvara said. 'I'm here to show we are against that.' The law, which was adopted by the parliament and signed by Zelenskyy, places Nabu and Sapo under the control of the general prosecutor's office, which critics say effectively abolishes their independence. The two institutions were the main anti-corruption bodies created as part of an aggressive campaign against public graft and other malfeasance since Ukraine's 2014 Maidan Revolution, when hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets in part because they were fed up with rampant corruption under President Viktor Yanukovych. The two bodies functioned free of outside control. Yesterday, Zelenskyy, who had tried to frame the law as a way of strengthening the anti-corruption effort, met the heads of the country's law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies, including Nabu and Sapo. After the meeting, however, Nabu and Sapo issued a joint statement, saying that the 'legislative changes adopted yesterday significantly limit' their independence. 'To restore full and independent work, clear and unambiguous steps are needed at the legislative level to restore the guarantees that were abolished by parliament,' the statement said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who attended the first protest on Wednesday, posted on social media that those responsible for the law were 'dragging Ukraine faster into authoritarianism'. Ukrainian lawmakers who voted against the bill said Zelenskyy severely underestimated both the domestic and international reaction to the move, which is seen as an effort to rein in officials tasked with independently investigating corruption cases - including those that may reach close to the President's inner circle. The move appeared to reflect Zelenskyy's growing distance from the generation that ushered in a new democratic era after the 2014 revolution - many of whom are now among those fighting on the front lines for the same democratic values they championed on the streets more than a decade ago. 'The scariest thing is that it will be used by our foes,' said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a lawmaker from Ukraine's European Solidarity Party, who fears outsiders will use the debacle to try to paint Ukraine as a nation that remains mired in corruption. Klympush-Tsintsadze, who worked extensively on Ukraine's bid to join the EU, voted against the law. Protesters gather on a road leading to the Ukrainian president's office. Photo / Ed Ram, for the Washington Post Russia, which has long amplified the narrative of corruption in Ukraine, was quick to leap on the development, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying yesterday that American and European tax dollars have 'been plundered'. Russia has long been criticized by the West for having one of the world's worst records on corruption. Zelenskyy's signing of the law tested the unwritten agreement between Ukrainian society and government that there will not be a political uprising during wartime because of the shared understanding that Russia is the enemy, said Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker who belongs to the same party as Klympush-Tsintsadze. 'He really miscalculated the reaction of the society,' he said of Zelenskyy. 'We are fighting against Russia not only as a country but as a model.' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Zelenskyy to convey 'her strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments' and 'requested the Ukrainian Government for explanations', a spokesperson for the European Commission said. 'The respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are core elements of the European Union,' the spokesperson said. 'As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to uphold these standards fully. There cannot be a compromise.' On Tuesday, agents from Ukraine's security service, the SBU, the general prosecutor's office, and the State Bureau of Investigation raided Nabu offices, claiming the existence of a 'Russian 'mole' in one of the bureau's elite units,' SBU head Vasyl Maliuk said. Many Ukrainians flatly rejected the Government's justifications for the law, however. The move against the agencies also comes a month after Nabu opened a criminal case against Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov on charges of 'abuse of office and receiving undue benefits in substantial amounts for himself and third parties'. It was one of the highest-level corruption cases since Zelenskyy became president six years ago, targeting one of the closest allies of his powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Chernyshov denied the charges, but he lost his position in last week's government reshuffle.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store