North Korea Airbrushes Commander From Photos After Warship Fail
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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North Korea has airbrushed a top military commander from official photos run by state media after Kim Jong Un was reportedly enraged by damage sustained to a navy ship during a failed launch.
The 5,000 ton warship, a guided-missile destroyer, was damaged on May 21 when it keeled over during its launch. Former Navy Commander Kim Myong Sik and former Chongjin Shipyard manager Hong Gil Ho were subsequently erased from images of the North Korean leader inspecting the warship while it was under construction, NK News reported Friday.
Newsweek reached out to the North Korean Embassy in Washington for comment by email.
Why It Matters
The failed launch is reported to have deeply embarrassed Kim Jong Un as he attempts to modernize North Korea's navy. He vowed to hold those responsible criminally liable.
According to NK News, a U.S.-based outlet focused on North Korea, this marks the first time Pyongyang has erased individuals from state media footage since the execution of former North Korean Minister of State Security Jang Song Thaek in 2013.
What To Know
A photograph released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on March 8, 2025, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, inspecting an under-construction warship at the Hambuk Shipyard in Chongjin, alongside then-North...
A photograph released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on March 8, 2025, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, inspecting an under-construction warship at the Hambuk Shipyard in Chongjin, alongside then-North Korean Navy Commander Kim Myong Sik, second right, and then-shipyard manager Hong Gil Ho, third left, both of whom were erased from subsequent images released by North Korean state media in June. More
KCNA
According to NK News, state media republished photos on Friday that were previously released in March, "this time deleting two key figures in a sign of their removal from leadership positions."
Kim and Hong were both removed from the images that were republished, with state media reporting that the the former shipyard manager was "clearly responsible for the accident."
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Hong was summoned by authorities days after the warship mishap which saw the destroyer become stuck after the transport cradle beneath its stern section slid off, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Images supplied to Newsweek by U.S. commercial satellite firm Planet at the time confirmed the vessel was resting in an awkward position at Chongjin's Hambuk Shipyard, partially covered by blue tarpaulins to mask the damage.
Navy commander Kim, a longtime ally of the North Korean leader, was also removed from the photo, though it's not clear if he faced any punishment.
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Both were "conspicuously absent" from the relaunch ceremony, NK News reported, noting that new Navy Commander Pak Kwang Sop appeared to have attended the event with Kim instead.
The media outlet said that the erasure of the two individuals from the state media images could suggest they've either both been ousted from their positions, or they face punishment such as execution or imprisonment.
Kim has described the botched launch as a "criminal act" that "could not be tolerated."
North Korea was later seen deploying suspected balloons to assist in the warship's recovery, according to satellite images.
What People Are Saying
The Korean Central News Agency reported: "Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un made a stern assessment, saying that it was a serious accident and criminal act caused by sheer carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which should never occur and could not be tolerated."
What Happens Next
The destroyer is undergoing repairs in the Rajin Dockyard. Kim has given a late June deadline for its "perfect restoration," though it's unclear whether that target will be met.
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