Four North Korean officials arrested over failed warship launch in front of Kim Jong Un, face imminent execution

Economic Times

7 days ago

A North Korean warship launch ended in disaster, leading to the arrest of four officials and potentially severe consequences, including execution, due to Kim Jong Un's fury. The destroyer capsized during its initial launch, damaging the hull and hindering North Korea's naval modernization plans.
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Why is Kim Jong Un so furious?
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How did the launch go so wrong?
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What could happen to the arrested officials?
FAQs
A North Korean warship launch went very wrong, and now high-ranking officials are paying the price. The destroyer tipped over and sank on its first trip, which made Kim Jong Un very angry.The failed warship launch that damaged a newly built destroyer led to the arrest of four North Korean officials. People see the disaster as a big step back for North Korea's plans to modernize its navy.The lives of those four North Korean officials detained for the disastrous destroyer launch are in grave danger.Days after the nameless 5,000-ton destroyer's disastrous launch, which caused the ship to capsize onto its side and damage its hull, the arrests were made.According to North Korean experts, Kim Jong Un could even kill four officials who were detained. "I would say there's a very good chance they'd be executed," stated Joseph S. Bermudez, a North Korean defense analyst at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, as quoted in a report by Business Insider.The rapidity with which state-run North Korean media reported on the incident that damaged its newest warship and identified the officials involved was one startling feature. The announcements' high level of publicity implies Kim is "very upset," Bermudez continued.Bermudez said the Choe Hyon-class destroyer advances Kim's goal of turning North Korea's coastal navy into a blue-water fleet. He called that project's setback a "slap in the face" for Kim.It is thought that the mechanism that rolled the ship into the water broke down, causing the aft portion of the ship to lie in the water and flood while the bow of the ship became stuck on the pier.The chief engineer of the shipyard, the head of the hull construction workshop, and a deputy manager for administrative affairs were all held directly responsible for the arrests, which were reported by state-run media.First on the list was Ri Hyong Son, who was also arrested while serving as the vice director of the Korean Workers' Party Central Committee's Munitions Industry Department.It was one of two next-generation Choe Hyon-class destroyers. Bermudez told BI that the eastern Chongjin Shipyard, which rarely builds large warships, built the second.North Korea tried a sideways launch instead of drydock or a slipway, which the workers may not have been used to with a larger vessel, he said.According to satellite photos taken on Monday, there was evidence of a dredging operation at the harbor entrance, and the ship's bow was still stuck on the pier.Exactly what will happen to the officials named is unknown. Although the legal system can impose a variety of penalties, "due process" is frequently a deterrent. North Korea put two unidentified nuclear power plant construction researchers to death in January for not finishing their project and raising the bar for technology. Their less experienced coworkers were taken to what is thought to be a political prison camp.Whatever the penalty, one thing is certain that the officials' families will also be impacted. According to the reasoning of the North Korean legal system, convictions are "because of a significant family flaw," which implies that the family must be dealt with for three generations.Experts believe it is very likely, particularly given Kim Jong Un's swift and public outrage.A botched sideways launch tilted and flooded the vessel, most likely due to inadequate preparation at an inexperienced shipyard.