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News.com.au
4 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Mysterious sight appears over stricken North Korea warship
North Korea has deployed a series of mysterious objects alongside its stricken warship that ran into trouble during its launch last week, according to reports. Satellite images show the objects – believed to be balloons – floating alongside the 5000-tonne ship, which has been left laying on its side and partially submerged since the incident. While their exact purpose is unknown, experts told CNN the objects may be used to manoeuvre the ship back upright. Another possible goal of using the objects was to protect the vessel from drones. It comes as another official was detained over the botched launch, which left North Korean leader Kim Jong-un furious. Jong Un slammed the mishap, which left some sections of the bottom of the newly built destroyer crushed, and called it a 'criminal act caused by absolute carelessness'. He warned that it 'could not be tolerated' and that the 'irresponsible errors' of the officials responsible would be dealt with at a Workers' Party meeting next month. Ri Hyong Son, vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Party Central Committee, was summoned and detained on Sunday, the Korean Central News Agency reported. He was 'greatly responsible for the occurrence of the serious accident', it said. Ri is the fourth person reportedly detained in connection with the accident, following the detention of three individuals over the weekend. That includes the chief engineer at the shipyard. Hong Kil Ho, the manager of the shipyard in the eastern port city of Chongjin where the accident took place, was summoned by law enforcement on Thursday. South Korea's military said US and Seoul intelligence authorities assessed that North Korea's 'side-launch attempt' of the ship failed. 'The side-launch method used in this case is no longer employed by South Korea's military,' Lee Sung-jun, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters. Satellite images, released by Maxar Technologies, showed the ship lying sideways, with the stern in water and the bow on land. KCNA, however, reported that an 'underwater and internal inspection of the warship confirmed that, unlike the initial announcement, there were no holes made at the warship's bottom', calling the extent of the damage 'not serious'.
NHK
26-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Another North Korean official detained over failed destroyer launch
A North Korean media outlet says the country's law-enforcement authorities have detained another official in connection with last week's failed launch of a warship. The ruling Workers' Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on Monday that the deputy head of the Munitions Industry Department of the party's Central Committee had been detained. The paper says the action was based on data from an investigation team, adding that the deputy head is greatly responsible for the accident. The destroyer was damaged during its launch ceremony on Wednesday at a shipyard in the country's northeast. Three officials have already been detained over the accident. Satellite imagery shows the partially submerged warship lying on its side with many other vessels around it. North Korean media said work is being carried out to restore the ship's balance. The country's leader, Kim Jong Un, criticized the accident as a criminal act. He said the irresponsible errors of senior officials will be raised at the Central Committee's plenary meeting scheduled for late June.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea arrests fourth official over failed launch of warship
North Korea has detained an official linked to last week's failed warship launch, which damaged a 5,000-ton destroyer, state media said Monday. Pyongyang called it "a serious accident" during Wednesday's ceremony, crushing parts of the vessel's hull North Korea has detained another official over last week's failed launch of a warship, which damaged the 5,000-ton naval destroyer, state media reported Monday. Pyongyang announced "a serious accident" at Wednesday's launch ceremony, which crushed sections of the bottom of the newly built destroyer. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called the mishap a "criminal act caused by absolute carelessness". Ri Hyong Son, vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Party Central Committee, was summoned and detained Sunday, the Korean Central News Agency reported. He was "greatly responsible for the occurrence of the serious accident", it said. Ri is the fourth person reportedly detained in connection with the accident, following the detention of three individuals over the weekend, including the chief engineer at the shipyard. Read moreNorth Korea state media reports 'serious' accident at warship launch ceremony Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:North Korea state media reports 'serious' accident at warship launch ceremonyNorth Korea's Kim tests new sniper rifle on visit to special forces
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea arrests senior official over warship launch failure
North Korea has arrested a fourth official over the failed launch of a new warship that has enraged the country's leader, Kim Jong Un. Ri Hyong-son, deputy director of the ruling Workers' Party's Munitions Industry Department, was "largely responsible for the serious accident" last week, state-run news agency KCNA said on Monday. The 5,000-ton destroyer had tipped over and damaged its hull, in what Kim had described as a "criminal act" that "severely damaged the [country's] dignity and pride". The vessel is being repaired under the guidance of an expert group, KCNA said. Mr Ri, who is part of the party's Central Military Commission, is the highest level official arrested over the incident so far. The commission commands the Korean People's Army and is responsible for developing and implementing North Korea's military policies. Over the weekend, Pyongyang also detained three officials at the northern Chongjin shipyard, where the destroyer was built and where its launch failed. These include shipyard's chief engineer, its construction head and an administrative manager. Kim earlier said Wednesday's incident was caused by "absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism". It is not clear what punishment they might face, but the authoritarian state has a woeful human rights record. It is uncommon for North Korea to publicly disclose local accidents, though it has done this a handful of times in the past after failed satellite launches. Some analysts believe Kim's swift and severe response was meant as a signal that Pyongyang will continue to advance its military capabilities. "This sends a clear message to South Korea and the US that North Korea isn't going to stop in trying to repair and strengthen its naval technology," Edward Howell, a North Korea expert at Oxford University told ABC news. A commentary on Seoul-based Daily NK, a news outlet focussing on North Korea, suggests that Kim's "transparency, however reluctant" shows he views naval modernisation as such a critical priority, and that "even public failures cannot derail the broader narrative of military advancement". Last week's shipyard accident comes weeks after North Korea unveiled a similar warship in another part of the country. Kim had called that warship a "breakthrough" in modernising North Korea's navy and said it would be deployed early next year.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
North Korea arrests senior official over warship launch failure
North Korea has arrested a fourth official over the failed launch of a new warship that has enraged the country's leader, Kim Jong Hyong-son, deputy director of the ruling Workers' Party's Munitions Industry Department, was "largely responsible for the serious accident" last week, state-run news agency KCNA said on 5,000-ton destroyer had tipped over and damaged its hull, in what Kim had described as a "criminal act" that "severely damaged the [country's] dignity and pride".The vessel is being repaired under the guidance of an expert group, KCNA said. Mr Ri, who is part of the party's Central Military Commission, is the highest level official arrested over the incident so far. The commission commands the Korean People's Army and is responsible for developing and implementing North Korea's military policies. Over the weekend, Pyongyang also detained three officials at the northern Chongjin shipyard, where the destroyer was built and where its launch failed. These include shipyard's chief engineer, its construction head and an administrative earlier said Wednesday's incident was caused by "absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism". It is not clear what punishment they might face, but the authoritarian state has a woeful human rights is uncommon for North Korea to publicly disclose local accidents, though it has done this a handful of times in the past after failed satellite analysts believe Kim's swift and severe response was meant as a signal that Pyongyang will continue to advance its military capabilities."This sends a clear message to South Korea and the US that North Korea isn't going to stop in trying to repair and strengthen its naval technology," Edward Howell, a North Korea expert at Oxford University told ABC news.A commentary on Seoul-based Daily NK, a news outlet focussing on North Korea, suggests that Kim's "transparency, however reluctant" shows he views naval modernisation as such a critical priority, and that "even public failures cannot derail the broader narrative of military advancement". Last week's shipyard accident comes weeks after North Korea unveiled a similar warship in another part of the country. Kim had called that warship a "breakthrough" in modernising North Korea's navy and said it would be deployed early next year.
