North Korea says it has repaired its damaged second destroyer, a claim met with outside skepticism

The Hill

19 hours ago

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday it has repaired its damaged second destroyer and launched it into the water in the presence of leader Kim Jong Un, about three weeks after it capsized during an earlier, botched launch ceremony.
North Korea's extremely secretive nature makes it virtually impossible to independently confirm its announcement on the ship's repair. Outside observers doubt whether the ship's electronic and other equipment can function normally, as parts of the warship were submerged for weeks.
North Korea's failed launch on May 21 sparked fury from Kim, who has vowed to build a stronger navy to cope with what he calls escalating U.S.-led threats against his country. Kim said the incident was caused by criminal negligence and ordered officials to repair the warship before a ruling Workers' Party meeting in late June. North Korean authorities later detained four officials including the vice director of the Workers' Party's munitions industry department over the botched launch.
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency said Friday it launched the destroyer — the second it built this year — off its east coast Thursday. In a launch ceremony, Kim said the country's two destroyers will play a big role in improving the North Korean navy's operational capabilities, according to KCNA.
Kim reiterated previous claims that his naval buildup is a justified response to perceived threats posed by the U.S. and South Korea, which in recent years have expanded their combined military exercises and updated their deterrence strategies to counter Kim's nuclear ambitions. He said the North will respond to the threats by his rivals with 'overwhelming military action' and vowed to build a navy with 'long-range operational capabilities.'
'It will not be long before the enemy nations themselves experience just how provoking and unpleasant it is to sit back and watch as our warships freely move near the edges of their sovereign waters,' Kim said.
Outside experts earlier said it remained unclear how severely the 5,000-ton-class destroyer was damaged and questioned North Korea's claim that it needed 10 days to pump out the seawater, set the ship upright and fix its damages that it described as 'not serious.'
During his speech, Kim said that a North Korean shipyard worker died during the ship's repair works. He said he offered his 'deepest condolences' to his family, including his wife and son who were present at the launch event. Kim said the government will honor the worker's sacrifice, support his family and help raise the worker's son 'to be a true man, one who lives with the same burning devotion to the party and fatherland as his father did.'
Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said Kim Jong Un's emotional portrayal of the late worker showed how Pyongyang was using his death as a tool to draw stronger public loyalty and support of Kim Jong Un's rule.
The damaged warship was in the same class as the country's first destroyer unveiled in April, which experts assessed as the North's largest and most advanced warship to date. Kim lavishly praised that ship, which was launched in the western port of Nampo, saying it advances his goal of expanding the military's operations range and nuclear strike capabilities.
Kim said the ruling Workers' Party has confirmed plans to build two more 5,000-ton-class destroyers next year, according to Friday's KCNA dispatch.