Latest news with #KoreaDefenceNetwork
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
North Korea denies severe damage of warship; full investigation under way on its failed launch
North Korea is seeking to arrest those responsible for the failed launch of its second naval destroyer, as it denied the warship suffered major damage — a claim quickly met with outside skepticism. A statement from North Korea on its handling of the botched launch came after leader Kim Jong Un expressed fury over an incident that he said was caused by criminal negligence. The main military committee said on Friday (May 23, 2025) that those responsible would be held responsible for an 'unpardonable criminal act.' Satellite imagery on the site showed a vessel lying on its side and draped in blue covers, with parts of it submerged. North Korea says it'll take about 10 days to repair its damage, but outside observers question that timeframe because damage to the ship appeared much worse than what North Korea claims. Experts doubt North Korea's warship damage report North Korea's state news agency KCNA said on Friday (May 23, 2025) that the severity of the damage to the 5,000-tonne-class destroyer was 'not serious" as it cancelled an earlier assessment that the bottom of the hull had been left with holes. It said the hull on the starboard side was scratched and some seawater had flowed into the stern section. But it said it'll take a total of 10 days to pump up the seawater, set the ship upright and fix the scratches. It's almost impossible to verify the assessment because of the extremely secretive nature of North Korea. It has a history of manipulating or covering up military-related setbacks, policy fiascoes, and other mishaps, though it has periodically acknowledged some in recent years. Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defence Network in South Korea, said the North Korean warship likely suffered much worse damage, including the flooding of its engine room located in the stern section, and holes in the starboard side. He said North Korea could simply set the ship upright, paint and claim the ship has been launched, but that repairs could take more than a year, as the replacement of an engine requires cutting the hull. According to the North Korean account, the destroyer was damaged when a transport cradle on the ship's stern detached early during a launch ceremony at the northeastern port of Chongjin on Wednesday (May 21, 2025). Moon Keun-sik, a navy expert who teaches at Seoul's Hanyang University, said North Korean workers are probably not familiar with launching a 5,000-tonne-class warship, which is nearly three times heavier than its existing main navy ships. Observers say North Korea tried to launch the destroyer sideways, a method it has never used for warships, although it has previously employed it with big cargo and passenger ships. Compared with those non-military vessels, Mr. Illwoo said it would be more difficult to maintain a balance with the destroyer because it's equipped with heavy weapons systems. He suspected North Korean scientists and workers likely did not factor that in. The damaged ship is assessed as the same class as North Korea's first destroyer, launched with great fanfare last month, with a floating dry dock at a western shipyard. It is North Korea's biggest and most advanced warship to date, and leader Kim Jong Un called its construction 'a breakthrough' in modernising North Korea's naval forces to cope with what he calls U.S.-led security threats. Subsequently, a failure to launch the second destroyer was an embarrassment for Mr. Kim. But by disclosing it to both internally and externally, the leader could be trying to show his resolve in modernising naval forces and boost discipline at home. He ordered officials to thoroughly investigate the case and repair the warship before a high-level ruling Workers' Party meeting in late June. North Korea said on Friday (May 23, 2025) the country's Central Military Commission summoned Hong Kil Ho, manager of the Chongjin shipyard, as it begun its investigation of the failed launch. 'No matter how good the state of the warship is, the fact that the accident is an unpardonable criminal act remains unchanged, and those responsible for it can never evade their responsibility for the crime,' the Commission said, according to state media. Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korea Studies in Seoul, said North Korea appears to be using the failed launch as a chance to strengthen the ruling party's control over the science and technological sectors. Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea's Science and Technology Policy Institute, said that North Korea's handling of the damaged warship could have long-term consequences for its defence science sector, especially if military scientists face harsh punishment. 'If scientists are held severely accountable, I would say the future of North Korea's defence science doesn't look very bright, as it would be a sign that political responsibility is being prioritised over technical accountability,' Mr. Lee wrote on Facebook.
Euronews
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Kim Jong-un returns to North Korea's first-ever destroyer for missile launch test
ADVERTISEMENT North Korean leader Kim Jong-un returned to the recently launched destroyer — the first such warship for Pyongyang — to observe a missile launch test, in another public display of the hermit country's push to arm its navy with nuclear weapons. Kim and his daughter, Ju-ae, publicly unveiled the 5,000-tonne destroyer last week, equipped with what Pyongyang said were the most potent weapons systems built for a naval vessel. During Friday's launching ceremony at the western port of Nampo, Kim called the ship's construction "a breakthrough" in modernising North Korea's naval forces. The destroyer was named Choe Hyon, after a North Korean general, politician and Korean War guerrilla fighter. Experts say North Korea's first destroyer was likely built with Russian assistance. Moscow's know-how might have come in exchange for thousands of North Korean troops sent to fight on Russia's side against Ukraine following a landmark 2024 defence deal between the two. While Pyongyang's naval forces lag behind those of South Korea, the destroyer poses a serious security threat, as it could bolster North Korea's attack and defence capabilities. The state-run Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Kim watched the tests of the destroyer's supersonic and strategic cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, automatic guns and electronic jamming guns earlier this week. He "appreciated the ship's combination of powerful strike weapons and conventional defences and set tasks to speed up the nuclear arming of his navy," the report said. During the ship's launching ceremony, Kim stated that acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next significant step in strengthening his navy. Kremlin sharing its military tech? An analysis of photos of the warship shows that its anti-air radar system is likely from Russia, said Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defence Network in South Korea. He said the warship's engine system and some of its anti-air weapons systems also likely came from Russia. North Korea and Russia have been sharply expanding military and other cooperation in recent years, with Pyongyang supplying troops and conventional weapons to support Russia's war efforts against Ukraine. The US, South Korea and their partners all share concerns that Moscow will likely in turn provide Pyongyang with high-tech weapons technologies that can enhance its nuclear program, as well as shipping other military and economic assistance. In March, Pyongyang unveiled a nuclear-powered submarine under construction. Many civilian experts said at the time that North Korea may have received Russian technological assistance to build a nuclear reactor to be used in a submarine. South Korea's spy agency also stated that North Korea won't likely be able to deploy a nuclear-powered submarine anytime soon without Russian support. Related North Korea confirms sending troops to fight for Russia About 600 North Korean soldiers killed in Russia's war against Ukraine, Seoul says Lee said the deployment of a warship with an advanced radar system off North Korea's west coast could sharply bolster its air defence capabilities for Pyongyang. South Korea, which has 12 destroyers, still vastly outpaces North Korea's naval forces. However, the Choe Hyon, which can carry approximately 80 missiles, can still pose a significant threat, as South Korea's navy has likely not prepared for such an enemy warship.
The Independent
07-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
South Korea raises toll of people injured in fighter jet misfire to 29
The number of people injured in the accidental bombing of a South Korean village by military jets has risen to 29. At least 15 civilians and 14 soldiers sustained injuries after two KF-16 fighter jets 'abnormally' released eight MK-82 bombs on a village in Pocheon, 43km north of the capital Seoul, during joint military exercises with the US on Thursday. Nine of the wounded were currently hospitalised, two of them with severe injuries, local media reported. The MK-82 bombs, each weighing some 225kg, fell outside the designated range for the joint exercises, the military said. The ensuing blast destroyed homes and a church, and tremors from the explosion were felt nearly 1km away. The villagers were evacuated to a town hall on Thursday as the military combed the area and then launched an investigation. The destruction of their homes had rendered many people homeless. An initial investigation found the pilot of one of the KF-16 planes had entered the wrong coordinates for a bombing site. South Korea suspended live-fire exercises and training flights of its air force aircraft across the country on Friday until it was established what had gone wrong, the military said. The planned Freedom Shield exercises with the US would continue, though, and fire drills and flight training restart once the exact cause of the incident was found and preventive steps formulated, it added. A day after the unprecedented incident, the village remained covered in debris. The interior and safety ministry allocated 300m won (£160,790) in disaster safety grants to Pocheon to facilitate swift emergency recovery. The fund would be used for temporary housing and psychological support for residents affected by the bombing, reports said. 'We will spare no necessary support to minimize the inconvenience for affected residents and to help stabilize the impacted area as soon as possible," acting minister of interior and safety Lee Sang Min said. Meanwhile, dozens of activists and residents from the affected area held a rally near the defence ministry in Seoul to demand a halt to military drills that threatened the lives and peace of the people living in the area. The residents reportedly said they had been protesting against the disturbance and danger from the nearby training grounds for years. "We, Pocheon citizens, are fundamentally questioning these ongoing military exercises," Lee Myoung Won, a Pocheon resident at the rally, was quoted by Reuters as saying. The resident said it was unclear to them who the military drills were meant to be providing security for. Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defence Network, argued that the suspension of flight training would cause 'really a big problem' in examining the operational plans of the US and South Korea. He told the Associated Press that flying warplanes would be essential to determining their real capabilities, discussing the size of reinforcements of US aircraft from abroad and modifying the operational plans of the allies. The joint drills were planned to involve responses to evolving challenges like North Korea's growing military partnership with Russia.
