North Korean leader Kim Jong-un witnessed the failed launch of a new destroyer during a ceremony, "after it turned out to be damaged due to an error by the responsible leadership", the Korean Central News Agency reported.
The ceremony, which Kim Jong-un attended, was held on May 21 in Chongjin. The destroyer's displacement was 5,000 tons.
“During the launch of the destroyer, a serious incident occurred: due to inept management and carelessness in control, the parallel movement of the trolley was not ensured, as a result of which the launch carriage at the stern of the ship left the slipway prematurely and hit an obstacle, the ship's balance was disrupted due to the destruction of some parts of the ship from the bottom, and the bow did not leave the slipway“, the agency reported.
“Comrade Kim Jong-un observed the entire process of the incident and assessed that what happened was an unacceptable serious incident and crime caused by “simple negligence, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism“, the statement said. He demanded that the ship be restored before the June plenum of the Party Central Committee. According to him, this issue is related to the “authority of the state“.
He warned that the plenary session will examine the mistakes of “irresponsible senior officials of the Defense Industry Department of the Party Central Committee, “Kim Chak“ Polytechnic University, the Central Institute of Shipbuilding and the Chongjin Shipyard“.