North Korea says destroyer in botched launch is now upright

This picture taken on October 2, 2024 and released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency via KNS on October 4, 2024 shows North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un (center) posing with troops during an inspection at a training base of the Korean People’s Army’s special operations forces in the western region, at an undisclosed location in North Korea. — Agence France-Presse

SEOUL, South Korea — A North Korean naval destroyer damaged in a botched launch last month is now upright and moored at a pier, state media said Friday.

Pyongyang has said “a serious accident” happened in the May 21 attempt to launch the 5,000-ton destroyer, with the mishap crushing sections of the bottom of the newly built ship.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called the incident a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness,” and state media reported the arrest of four officials in connection with the botched launch.

South Korea’s military said that Washington and Seoul’s intelligence authorities believe North Korea’s so-called “side-launch attempt” of the ship failed, and the vessel was left listing in the water.

But the state news agency KCNA said Friday that “after restoring the balance of the destroyer early in June, the team moored it at the pier” on Thursday.

Experts will now look at its hull, it added.

READ: PH condemns North Korea’s latest missile launch

KCNA reported late last month that an “underwater and internal inspection of the warship confirmed that, unlike the initial announcement, there were no holes made at the warship’s bottom.” It called the extent of the damage “not serious.”

The South Korean military estimated that based on its size and scale, the newly built warship is similarly equipped to the 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel Choe Hyon, which North Korea unveiled last month.

Pyongyang has said the Choe Hyon is equipped with the “most powerful weapons,” and that it would “enter into operation early next year.”

Seoul’s 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.