Latest news with #BeyondParallel
Mint
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
North Korea Restores Damaged Warship, Plans Two More Next Year
North Korea said it successfully refloated a 5,000-ton destroyer that suffered damage in a botched launch attempt last month that left it foundering in shallow water, with leader Kim Jong Un vowing to build two more vessels of the same class next year as part of his efforts to boost the country's naval capabilities. A second launch ceremony for the Choe Hyon-class destroyer Kang Kon took place at the northeastern port of Rajin on Thursday, state media Korean Central News Agency said, less than a month after reporting a 'serious accident' during the first attempted launch of the ship in May. 'Despite the difficulties and obstacles, our massive shipbuilding plans aimed at building advanced naval power are being pushed forward at the fastest pace possible,' Kim said in a speech at the ceremony. The warship will be delivered to the navy for operations by mid-2026, and the ruling party has approved a plan to build two more 5,000-ton class destroyers next year, Kim said. 'Soon enough the enemies will learn themselves how provocative and unpleasant it is to see enemy ships running through the periphery of their sovereign waters,' Kim said. The North Korean leader slammed the approach of US strategic assets into the region as raising the risk of a nuclear war and said his forces will take 'overwhelming military action' against any aggressive move. The remarks were made just as the White House said President Donald Trump is open to communications with Kim. South Korea said it's closely communicating with the US on their North Korea policy. Analysts said the relatively fast restoration of the damaged warship signals North Korea's capability to pursue a quick naval build-up. The exact extent of the damage done to the ship in last month's accident was not disclosed. It's also unclear whether the destroyer has been fully repaired. 'Experts are generally skeptical about North Korea's naval capabilities, but time and again, including the country's recent floating of the capsized ship, the country has demonstrated that it can make impressive progress when it is prepared to devote priority, resources, and time,' the 38 North program at the Stimson Center said in a report. The country's navy mainly consists of smaller vessels for coastal defense. The new destroyers were designed to extend the nation's firepower in the Yellow Sea to the west and in eastern waters in the direction of Japan. The new vessels can launch guided missiles and boast an air defense system that include the Russian Pantsir-M, 'manifesting the growing cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow,' according to an analysis by Beyond Parallel, which focuses on North Korea. 'While North Korea's two Choe Hyon-class destroyers may not yet match the sophistication of their South Korean or US counterparts, the pace with which they were built suggests North Korean shipyards are gaining the expertise needed to produce more advanced warships in the near future,' the 38 North report said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korean Frigate Now Floating Upright After Partially Capsizing During Disastrous Launch
The North Korean frigate that rolled over and was partially submerged during its botched launch ceremony last month is now floating on its own, a new satellite image shows. It is the latest sign of progress after a mishap that embarrassed North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, who attended the ceremony. This roughly fits in with North Korea's initial estimate that it would take '10-odd days to restore the warship's side.' 'Kim Jong Un's instructions to restore' the unnamed Choi-Hyun class ship ''before the end of June have been met with skepticism,' 38 North, a website devoted to the analysis of North Korea, noted on Thursday. 'Commercial satellite imagery shows workers at the port in Chongjin have taken a significant step towards that goal.' In the new image, captured by Planet Labs, the vessel can be seen moored in the middle of O-Hang harbor, away from the dock where rolled into the water on May 21. There are two smaller vessels just off its starboard side and several more a bit further away on the port side. From the quality of the image, it is difficult to determine the level of damage the ship incurred after being partially underwater for more than two weeks. The ship was turned upright earlier this week, which you can read more about in our report here. The image shows that North Korea 'has successfully completed initial salvage operations,' according to the latest analysis by Beyond Parallel, a project within the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 'As best can be presently determined, the vessel may be listing slightly to port, numerous small marine salvage balloons are visible alongside and aboard the vessel, and what appears to be a large lift bag or temporary ramp is visible on the slide slipway,' Beyond Parallel posited. 'The slight listing and presence of the balloons suggest that the salvage operation is not complete, with continued pumping, stabilization, and refurbishment operations remaining. It remains unclear whether the vessel will remain at the Hambuk Shipyard at Chongjin or be moved to another shipyard for this work, fitting-out, and subsequent commissioning.' Beyond Parallel could not ascertain from the image how badly the ship was damaged. 'Those are great questions, but not ones we can answer right now with the limited resolution of the image,' Jennifer Jun, Associate Fellow for Imagery Analysis at CSIS told us. 'We'll continue to monitor for better collects in the coming days.' At a press conference on Thursday, a spokesman for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said that additional repair work on the ship is in progress. However, he did not elaborate on whether Kim's demand that the frigate be restored by the time the next Party Central Committee meeting is held later this month will be met. This goal is outright questionable, if not impossible to meet. 'Further analysis is needed, such as whether a change has occurred in the warship's keel,' according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. 'The North Korean warship inclined at the Chongjin port returned to an upright position earlier this week and additional (restoration) efforts are believed to be in progress,' Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told a regular press briefing,' Yonhap reported. 'Both South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are closely monitoring activities at the Chongjin port and the nearby area.' The vessel, which has an estimated displacement of 5,000 tons, is the second in its Choi Hyun class, following the Choi Hyon. That ship was officially unveiled in April. You can read all about the heavily armed class of frigates in our previous detailed analysis and follow-up report. Earlier this week, a satellite image showed that second vessel finally upright, but still at the dock and covered in blue tarps. You can catch up with our story about that here. As we noted in that story, an analysis by 38 North showed the efforts North Korea was taking to right the vessel. This is quite incredible speed. The image is partially obscured by cloud, but the capsized North Korean warship is now upright again. What makes it even more impressive is they apparently did it all manually. : Airbus Space and Defence/38 North, June — Martyn Williams (@ 2025-06-03T18:28:44.771Z 38 North suggested that the launch mechanism may have become stuck in the ship's bow, pinning it onto the land while the stern slipped into the water, after which the boat overturned. In the May 29 imagery, there appeared to be damage around the bow section. That is in stark contrast to North Korea's initial claim that the vessel was unharmed, a dubious, if not implausible assertion. In our previous report, we noted that there is not a dry dock that the vessel could be moved into readily at Chongjin if major repair work is required. However, now that the ship is floating, it could be easier to take it to a facility that can fix major hull damage. Contact the author: howard@
Miami Herald
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Significant Step': New Photos Reveal North Korean Warship Update
North Korean workers have succeeded in pulling a capsized warship upright, new analysis suggests, after Pyongyang condemned the failed launch of its new destroyer last month as an international embarrassment. North Korea, increasingly allied with Russia and broadcasting its intensive military build-up, has swerved away from long-held policies of reconciliation with South Korea and adopted a more aggressive tone toward the U.S., a key ally for Seoul. Pyongyang has forged ahead with its weapons development, including nuclear warheads, and pushed for a more formidable navy. North Korea's attempt to launch a second Choe Hyon-class destroyer at its northeastern Chongjin port on May 21 ended in a "serious accident," North Korean state media reported at the time. The first of this new type of warship was successfully launched in April. The second 5,000-ton warship was damaged "due to inexperienced command and operational carelessness," state media reported, an unusually candid public assessment for the secretive nation seeking to exude military strength. The country's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, was present for the bungled launch. "North Korea's failed ship launch was a huge embarrassment to Kim Jong Un, especially since it happened in front of his eyes," said Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies. Kim, who called the launch failure a "criminal act," ordered the warship to be restored. State media reported shortly after the incident that authorities had arrested four people over the botched launch. It would take up to three days to pump seawater from flooded parts of the ship, and roughly 10 days to pull the ship upright, according to state media. Satellite imagery published by the 38 North project, which focuses on North Korea and is run by the Washington, D.C.-based Stimson Center nonprofit, from Monday showed that the warship was upright for the first time in several weeks, the analysts said. Personnel at the dock have taken a "significant step" toward restoring the vessel, they added. The warship was significantly damaged," the U.K.-based Open Source Centre nonprofit said last month. The vessel "will not be entering service anytime soon and may ultimately prove to be a complete loss," experts with the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Beyond Parallel project said in late May. North Korea launched the first of its Choe Hyon-class destroyers in late April at its Nampho shipyard southwest of Pyongyang, which analysts said was the largest warship the country had ever produced. This new type of destroyer will be able to launch advanced weapons, including cruise and ballistic missiles, North Korea has said. "Kim has taken a deep personal interest in promoting the country's ongoing naval modernization," Yeo told Newsweek. The failed launch at the Chongjin shipyard "not only undermined the narrative of North Korea's powerful naval build-up, but it also cast doubt on whether North Korea has the actual means and capabilities to build a new fleet of ships as quickly as it hopes." North Korean state media, on May 23: "The accident is an unpardonable criminal act. Those responsible for it can never evade their responsibility for the crime." Related Articles Nuclear Arms Race Warning as Warheads IncreaseNorth Korea Celebrates Triplets Amid Birth Rate CrisisUS Allies Stage War Games Near ChinaNorth Korean Soldiers Praised by Russia for Fighting Ukraine 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Los Angeles Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
North Korea's second naval destroyer is damaged in a failed launch attended by Kim
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea's second naval destroyer was damaged in a failed launch this week, state media reported Thursday, sparking fury from leader Kim Jong Un, who wants bigger warships to deal with what he calls escalating U.S.-led threats against his country. It's not common for North Korea to acknowledge military-related setbacks, but observers say the disclosure of the failed ship launch suggests that Kim is serious about his naval advancement program and confident of ultimately achieving that objective. During a launching event at the northeastern port of Chongjin on Wednesday, the newly built 5,000-ton-class destroyer became unbalanced and was punctured in its bottom sections after a transport cradle on the stern section slid off first and became stuck, according to the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA didn't provide details on what caused the problem, the severity of the damage or whether anyone was injured. According to KCNA, Kim, who was present at the ceremony, blamed military officials, scientists and shipyard operators for a 'serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.' Kim called for a ruling Workers' Party meeting slated for late June to address their 'irresponsible errors.' 'It's a shameful thing. But the reason why North Korea disclosed the incident is it wants to show it's speeding up the modernization of its navy forces and expresses its confidence that it can eventually build' a greater navy, said Moon Keun-sik, a navy expert who teaches at Seoul's Hanyang University. Moon suspected the incident likely happened because North Korean workers aren't yet familiar with such a large warship and were rushed to put it in the water. The damaged vessel was likely the same class as the country's first destroyer unveiled last month, which experts assessed as North Korea's largest and most advanced warship to date. Kim called the first vessel, named Choe Hyon — a famed Korean guerilla fighter during the Japanese colonial period — a significant asset for advancing his goal of expanding the military's operational range and nuclear strike capabilities. State media described that ship as designed to carry weapons systems including nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. Kim said the ship was expected to enter active duty early next year and later supervised test-firings of missiles from the warship. Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that the damaged vessel was likely equipped with similar systems and remains toppled over in the sea. Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC seen by The Associated Press appeared to show the vessel rolled onto its side, positioned diagonally from the dock, with most of its hull submerged and draped in blue covers. Earlier commercial satellite images indicated that the country was building its second destroyer at a shipyard in Chongjin. Beyond Parallel, a website run by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the satellite imagery of Chongjin's Hambuk shipyard on May 12 showed that a second vessel in the Choe Hyon-class of guided missile destroyers was under construction. A report by the North Korea-focused 38 North website assessed last week that the destroyer in Chongjin was being prepared to be launched sideways from the quay, a method that has been rarely used in North Korea. The report said the previous destroyer launched at the western shipyard of Nampo, in contrast, used a floating dry dock. South Korean officials and experts say the Choe Hyon destroyer was likely built with Russian assistance as the two countries' military partnerships are booming. While North Korea's naval forces are considered far inferior to those of its rivals, analysts say the destroyer with nuclear-capable missiles and an advanced radar system would still enhance the North's offensive and defensive capabilities. Kim has framed the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the United States and South Korea, which have been expanding joint military exercises in response to the North's advancing nuclear program. He says the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next big step in strengthening the North Korean navy. Hours after releasing the report on the damaged destroyer, North Korea test-fired multiple cruise missiles from an area about 185 miles south of Chongjin, according to South Korea's military. The launches were a continuation of a streak of weapons-testing activities by North Korea in recent years. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches were being analyzed by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities. Tong-Hyung and Kim write for the Associated Press.
Yomiuri Shimbun
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
North Korea's Second Naval Destroyer Is Damaged in a Failed Launch at a Ceremony Attended by Kim
AP A TV screen shows a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul on Thursday. SEOUL (AP) — North Korea's second naval destroyer was damaged in its failed launch to the water this week, state media reported Thursday, in an embarrassment for leader Kim Jong Un as he pushes to modernize his naval forces. It's not common for North Korea to acknowledge military-related setbacks, but observers say the disclosure of the failed ship launch suggests that Kim is serious about his naval advancement program and confident of ultimately achieving its objectives. During a launching event at the northeastern port of Chongjin on Wednesday, the newly built 5,000-ton-class destroyer became unbalanced and was punctured in its bottom sections after a transport cradle on the stern section slid off first and became stuck, according to the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA didn't provide details on what caused the problem, the severity of the damage or whether anyone was injured. According to KCNA, Kim, who was present at the ceremony, blamed military officials, scientists and shipyard operators for a 'serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.' Kim called for a ruling Workers' Party meeting slated for late June to address their 'irresponsible errors.' 'It's a shameful thing. But the reason why North Korea disclosed the incident is it wants to show it's speeding up the modernization of its navy forces and expresses its confidence that it can eventually build' a greater navy, said Moon Keun-sik, a navy expert who teaches at Seoul's Hanyang University. Moon suspected the incident likely happened because North Korean workers aren't yet familiar with such a large warship and were rushed to put it in the water. The damaged vessel was likely in the same class as the country's first destroyer, unveiled April 25, which experts assessed as the North's largest and most advanced warship to date. Kim called the first vessel, named Choe Hyon — a famed Korean guerilla fighter during the Japanese colonial period — a significant asset for advancing his goal of expanding the military's operational range and nuclear strike capabilities. State media described that ship as designed to handle various weapons systems, including anti-air and anti-ship weapons as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. Kim said the ship was expected to enter active duty early next year and later supervised test-firings of missiles from the warship. Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday the damaged vessel was likely equipped with similar systems and remains toppled over in the sea. The North Korean report came after recent commercial satellite images indicated that the country was building its second destroyer at a shipyard in Chongjin. Beyond Parallel, a website run by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the satellite imagery of Chongjin's Hambuk shipyard on May 12 showed that a second vessel in the Choe Hyon-class of guided missile destroyers was under construction. A report by the North Korea-focused 38 North website assessed last week that the destroyer built at the Chongjin shipyard was being prepared to be launched sideways from the quay, a method that has been rarely used in North Korea. The report said the previous destroyer launched at the western shipyard of Nampo, in contrast, used a floating dry dock. South Korean officials and experts say the Choe Hyon destroyer was likely built with Russian assistance as the two countries' military partnerships are booming. While North Korea's naval forces are considered inferior to South Korea's, analysts still view the destroyer as a serious security threat, as it could enhance the country's offensive and defensive capabilities. Kim has framed the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the United States and its allies in Asia, who have been expanding joint military exercises amid rising tensions over the North's nuclear program. He says the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next big step in strengthening his navy. Hours after releasing the report on the damaged destroyer, North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles from an area near the northeastern town of Sondok, according to South Korea's military. The launches were a continuation of a streak of weapons-testing activities by North Korea in recent years. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't immediately say how far the missiles flew, noting the launches were being analyzed by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities.
