North Korea Using Balloons To Salvage Doomed Warship: Analyst
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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New satellite imagery shows North Korea deploying what appear to be balloons to assist in the recovery of a navy ship that had keeled over during its launch last week—an accident that has embarrassed leader Kim Jong Un.
Newsweek reached out to the North Korean Embassy in Beijing by email with a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Pyongyang is building out its military amid flaring tensions with Seoul. Kim has cited joint war games between South Korea and its U.S. ally as "provocations" that justify the modernization efforts—including the country's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
The new vessel, a guided-missile destroyer, was meant to be a symbol of national prestige amid efforts to strengthen the Korean People's Navy, which is largely composed of aging warships and smaller fast-attack craft. The damaged destroyer was the second to be constructed, with the first one—the Cho Hyon—reportedly undergoing weapons testing late last month.
An image captured on May 22, 2025, by U.S. commercial satellite company Planet shows North Korea's new navy destroyer, which capsized on launch on May 21 at Hambuk Shipyard in the northern port city of...
An image captured on May 22, 2025, by U.S. commercial satellite company Planet shows North Korea's new navy destroyer, which capsized on launch on May 21 at Hambuk Shipyard in the northern port city of Chongjin. More
Planet Labs PBC
What To Know
The stricken destroyer dislodged from the slipway on Wednesday—"a serious accident," according to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. The launch ceremony in the northeastern city of Chongjin had been overseen by Kim himself, KCNA said.
Images supplied to Newsweek by the U.S. commercial satellite firm Planet showed much of the ship—apparently partially submerged—covered in blue tarpaulins in an apparent attempt to conceal damage to the vessel's hull.
North Korea appears to be attempting to lift up their destroyer with methods inspired by Pixar's hit 2009 film Up. Note the numerous balloons in the air above the destroyer. pic.twitter.com/aHdZpWRQu7 — Decker Eveleth (@dex_eve) May 25, 2025
Additional satellite imagery shared on Sunday by Decker Eveleth, a strategic forces analyst at the the Center for Naval Analyses, a Virginia think tank, appeared to show several balloons floating overhead as part of efforts to right the 5,000-ton vessel.
"North Korea appears to be attempting to lift up their destroyer with methods inspired by Pixar's hit 2009 film Up. Note the numerous balloons in the air above the destroyer," Eveleth wrote.
The same balloon objects have been visible in satellite imagery since Friday, according to posts on X.
North Korea's KCNA said the damage was not as serious as initially reported, and that efforts were underway to pump water out of a flooded chamber. Western analysts, however, are doubtful that Pyongyang will be able to meet the stated salvage timeline of "10-odd days."
What People Have Said
Korean Central News Agency: "At the scene of the destroyer launch accident, the work for completely restoring the balance of the warship is being actively conducted under the technical guidance of an expert group according to its schedule."
Jennifer Jun, imagery analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told The War Zone: "Even if North Korea manages to right the vessel within the '10-odd days,' restoring its original capabilities will almost certainly take longer. I'd also be remiss not to mention that given the political stakes, those responsible for reporting this to Kim have strong incentives to downplay the extent of the damage."
What's Next
Ri Hyong Son, vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Munitions Industry Department, has been detained after being deemed "greatly responsible" for the incident, KCNA said on Monday.
North Korean state media said previously that authorities were investigating to "expose the cause of the accident which should never occur and could not be tolerated and those responsible for it."
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