State media reported on Thursday that a major accident occurred at the launch ceremony of a new North Korean naval destroyer, with Prime Minister Kim Jong-Eun saying the accident was a “criminal act.”
“A serious accident occurred” during the ceremony Wednesday to launch a new 5,000-ton destroyer in a port city in eastern Jeongjin, South Korea’s central news agency said.
KCNA blamed “inexperienced command and operational carelessness” during the launch that was being observed by Kim, saying it escaped, saying “several sections of the warship’s bottom were crushed.”
He said the accident was able to “destroy the balance of the warship.”
Kim saw the entire incident and declared it a “absolute careless criminal act” and warned it was “unacceptable.”
He said the “irresponsible mistake” of the person in charge will be “targeted at the Party Central Committee Plenary Meeting next month.”
Last month, Pyongyang announced an additional 5,000 tonnes of destroyer rank ship named Cho Ha-ion.
At the time, state media performed images of Kim attending a ceremony with her daughter Ju Ae, whom many experts considered to be his successor.
North Korea claimed that the vessels are equipped with “the most powerful weapons” and “starts into operation early next year.”
Some analysts said the ship could be equipped with short-range tactical nuclear missiles, but North Korea has not proven its ability to miniaturize its nuclear weapons.
MNA