Latest news with #destroyer
NHK
13-06-2025
- Politics
- NHK
North Korea holds launch ceremony for restored destroyer, state TV reports
North Korea's state-run media has reported that a launch ceremony was held on Thursday for a restored destroyer. The vessel had tipped onto its side and partially submerged following a failed launch last month. Korean Central Television reported that the ceremony took place at the Rajin Dockyard in the country's northeast following the completion of repairs. After the May 21 accident, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered that the destroyer be repaired before the ruling party central committee's plenary meeting scheduled for late June. Kim, who attended the event, revealed that the new destroyer is a Choe Hyon-class vessel -- the 5,000-ton warship that North Korea launched in April. He said, "Soon, enemies will experience themselves how provocative and unpleasant it is to sit and watch the ships of an adversary run rampant on the fringes of sovereign waters." Kim also revealed that his country will build two new destroyers of the same or even larger class every year, expressing his intention to boost naval capabilities, including securing strategic abilities in the Pacific. South Korea's Unification Ministry noted that no external defects were confirmed on the newly launched destroyer but said it is necessary to carefully monitor whether the vessel functions properly.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
North Korea eyes more warships after 5,000-tonne naval destroyer relaunched
North Korea has reportedly repaired and relaunched its second naval destroyer, just weeks after it capsized during an initial launch ceremony. According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Jong Un attended a lavish ceremony on Thursday, boarding the warship and declaring that no obstacle could impede North Korea's naval ambitions amid ongoing "hostilities" led by the US. The secretive nature of North Korea makes independent verification of the ship's repair virtually impossible. There are doubts among outside observers regarding the functionality of the ship's engine, weapons systems, and electronic equipment, given that parts of the warship were submerged for approximately two weeks. The initial failed launch on May 21 reportedly triggered fury from Kim, who has pledged to strengthen the nation's navy in response to what he perceives as escalating threats from the US and its allies. Kim attributed the incident to criminal negligence and instructed officials to repair the warship before a Workers' Party meeting in late June. Subsequently, North Korean authorities detained four officials, including the vice director of the Workers' Party's munitions industry department, in connection with the botched launch. In his Thursday speech, Kim said the country's two destroyers will play a big role in improving the navy's operational capabilities, according to KCNA. Kim reiterated previous claims that his naval buildup is a justified response to perceived threats posed by the US and South Korea, which in recent years have expanded their combined military exercises and updated their deterrence strategies to counter Kim's advancing nuclear program. He said the North will respond to such external threats with 'overwhelming military action." 'It will not be long before the enemy nations themselves experience just how provoking and unpleasant it is to sit back and watch as our warships freely move near the edges of their sovereign waters,' Kim said. Kim said a North Korean shipyard worker died during the repairs and offered his 'deepest condolences' to his family, including his wife and son who were present at the launch event. Outside experts earlier said it remained unclear how severely the 5,000-tonne -class destroyer was damaged and questioned North Korea's claim it needed 10 days to pump out the seawater, set the ship upright and fix its damages it described as 'not serious.' Previous satellite photos showed the North Korean destroyer lying on its side at the northeastern port of Chongjin, with its stern partly underwater. Last week, North Korea said it had righted the warship and would move it to the Rajin port, which is further north of Chongjin and close to the border with Russia, for the next stage of its restoration works. 'Considering the time they needed to raise the vessel, they would have had less than two weeks to carry out the real repair work,' said Yang Uk, an analyst at Seoul 's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. 'Would that have been enough time to completely fix everything and bring the vessel to a state where it's operationally capable? I think that's highly unlikely.' Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defense Network in South Korea, said what was likely flooded in the North Korean ship were its engine room, missile launch tubes and anti-air weapons systems, which all involve electronic systems that are highly vulnerable to damages if exposed to seawater. Lee said the ship's move to Rajin implies Russian experts have likely been assisting North Korea with repairs. Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has been flourishing significantly in recent years, with the North supplying troops and ammunitions to support Russia's war against Ukraine. The damaged warship was in the same class as the country's first destroyer unveiled in April, which experts assessed as the North's largest and most advanced warship to date. Experts say the North's two destroyers were both likely built with Russian help. Kim Jong Un said the ruling Workers' Party has confirmed plans to build two more 5,000-tonne -class destroyers next year, according to Friday's KCNA dispatch. Satellite imagery indicated North Korea had attempted to launch the second destroyer sideways, a method it had never used for warships. Many observers said it would be more difficult to maintain the balance of a big warship because it carries heavy weapons systems. But they said North Korea won't likely repeat the same mistake when it launches its third and fourth destroyers. According to North Korea's timetable, its first two destroyers are to be deployed next year. Despite its growing nuclear arsenal and huge 1.2 million-member standing army, North Korea's naval and aerial forces have been considered inferior to those of South Korea's. But North Korea's planned deployment of a series of 5,000-tonne -class destroyers would pose 'really a serious threat" to South Korea, whose navy hasn't still prepared itself to deal with such big, advanced enemy warships, according to Lee, the expert. North Korea hasn't responded formally to the measure.
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
North Korea Says It Has Repaired Its Damaged Second Destroyer, a Claim Met with Outside Skepticism
North Korea said Friday it has repaired its damaged second naval destroyer and launched it into the water in the presence of leader Kim Jong Un, about three weeks after it capsized during an earlier, botched launch ceremony. The North's Korean Central News Agency said Friday it launched the destroyer — the second it built this year — off its east coast Thursday. The country's extremely secretive nature makes it virtually impossible to independently confirm its announcement on the ship's repair. Outside observers doubt whether the ship's engine, weapons systems and other electronic equipment can function normally, as parts of the warship were submerged for about two weeks. North Korea's failed launch on May 21 sparked fury from Kim, who has vowed to build a stronger navy to cope with what he calls escalating US-led threats against his country. Kim said the incident was caused by criminal negligence and ordered officials to repair the warship before a ruling Workers' Party meeting in late June. North Korean authorities later detained four officials, including the vice director of the Workers' Party's munitions industry department over the botched launch. In a launch ceremony, Kim said the country's two destroyers will play a big role in improving the North Korean navy's operational capabilities, according to KCNA. Kim reiterated previous claims that his naval buildup is a justified response to perceived threats posed by the US and South Korea, which in recent years have expanded their combined military exercises and updated their deterrence strategies to counter Kim's advancing nuclear program. He said the North will respond to such external threats with 'overwhelming military action.' 'It will not be long before the enemy nations themselves experience just how provoking and unpleasant it is to sit back and watch as our warships freely move near the edges of their sovereign waters,' Kim said. During his speech, Kim said a North Korean shipyard worker died during the repairs and offered his 'deepest condolences' to his family, including his wife and son who were present at the launch event. Outside experts earlier said it remained unclear how severely the 5,000-ton-class destroyer was damaged and questioned North Korea's claim that it needed 10 days to pump out the seawater, set the ship upright and fix its damages that it described as 'not serious.' Previous satellite photos showed the North Korean destroyer lying on its side at the northeastern port of Chongjin, with its stern partly under water. Last week, North Korea said it had righted the warship and would move it to the Rajin port, which is further north of Chongjin and close to the border with Russia, for the next stage of its restoration works. 'Considering the time they needed to raise the vessel, they would have had less than two weeks to carry out the real repair work,' said Yang Uk, an analyst at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. 'Would that have been enough time to completely fix everything and bring the vessel to a state where it's operationally capable? I think that's highly unlikely.' Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defense Network in South Korea, said what was likely flooded in the North Korean ship were its engine room, missile launch tubes and anti-air weapons systems, which all involve electronic systems that are highly vulnerable to damages if exposed to seawater. Lee said the ship's move to Rajin implies Russian experts have likely been assisting North Korea with repairs. Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has been flourishing significantly in recent years, with the North supplying troops and ammunitions to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Kim wants a bigger navy The damaged warship was in the same class as the country's first destroyer unveiled in April, which experts assessed as the North's largest and most advanced warship to date. Experts say the North's two destroyers were both likely built with Russian help. Kim said the ruling Workers' Party has confirmed plans to build two more 5,000-ton-class destroyers next year, according to Friday's KCNA dispatch. Satellite imagery indicated North Korea had attempted to launch the second destroyer sideways, a method it had never used for warships. Many observers said it would be more difficult to maintain the balance of a big warship because it carries heavy weapons systems. But they said North Korea won't likely repeat the same mistake when it launches its third and fourth destroyers. According to North Korea's timetable, its first two destroyers are to be deployed next year. Despite its growing nuclear arsenal and huge 1.2 million-member standing army, North Korea's naval and aerial forces have been considered inferior to those of South Korea's. But North Korea's planned deployment of a series of 5,000-ton-class destroyers would pose 'really a serious threat' to South Korea, whose navy hasn't still prepared itself to deal with such big, advanced enemy warships, according to Lee, the expert. Earlier this week, the new liberal South Korean government led by President Lee Jae-myung halted frontline propaganda broadcasts as its first concrete step toward easing tensions between the rivals. North Korea hasn't responded formally to the measure.
Al Arabiya
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Satellite images show damaged North Korean warship moved to port for repairs
A North Korean stricken destroyer that partially capsized during a botched launching ceremony has arrived at a ship repair factory, a Washington think tank said. The destroyer that suffered a failed launch was moved to the graving dock at Rajin Dockyard, also known as Rajin Ship Repair Factory, by June 8, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said based on satellite imagery. State media reported on Friday that experts would examine the hull for the next stage of restorations, to be carried out at Rajin Dockyard for 7–10 days. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who witnessed the failed launch of the destroyer, called the accident a 'criminal act.' Since the accident in May, North Korea has said it detained several officials, and Kim ordered the ship restored before a ruling party meeting this month. The Rajin shipyard, located near the Russian border, has produced many of North Korea's larger warships for decades, CSIS said. 'Once any critical repairs or restoration work are completed, the vessel will likely be transferred to the shipyard's fitting out dock, where its weapons and other systems will be installed and subsequently commissioned,' the think tank said in a report. The ship lay on its side in the water after the botched launch, but it was pulled upright, according to US researchers and the South Korean military. The 5,000-ton destroyers launched by North Korea this year are the country's largest warships yet, part of leader Kim's push to upgrade its naval power with vessels capable of carrying and launching dozens of missiles.
Al Arabiya
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
North Korea launches repaired destroyer, Kim vows two more to come
A North Korean naval destroyer damaged in a botched launch last month was successfully set afloat on a second attempt, with leader Kim Jong Un presiding, state media said Friday. A ceremony for the ship, baptised the Kang Kon — named after a top North Korean general killed in the 1950–53 war — was held on Thursday at the Rajin shipyard, up the coast from where the failed attempt occurred, according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency. 'Just over two weeks since the accident, the ship was safely raised and floated, and today, as planned, complete restoration has been finished,' Kim said, according to KCNA. Kim has also approved a plan to build two more destroyer-class vessels next year, the agency added. The decision 'heralds a significant and dramatic change in the status and defense activities of [our] Navy,' Kim said, according to KCNA. Photos released by the agency showed Kim, wearing a large straw hat and beaming happily, accompanied by his daughter Ju Ae, considered by many experts to be his likely successor. He claimed that the 'provocative intentions of the US and its allies' have recently become 'more blatant, and the level of threats to our security has clearly gone far beyond the dangerous limit.' 'We must develop our naval power more comprehensively and rapidly so that the enemy cannot even think of carrying out aggressive actions in the waters around us,' the North Korean leader said. The successful launch comes after Pyongyang last month announced 'a serious accident' when workers first tried to put the 5,000-ton destroyer into water in the northeastern port city of Chongjin. The mishap crushed sections of the bottom of the newly built ship. Pyongyang later covered it with a tarpaulin, satellite images showed. South Korean intelligence believe North Korea's so-called 'side-launch attempt' of the ship failed, and the vessel was left listing in the water. Kim called the incident a 'criminal act caused by absolute carelessness,' and state media subsequently reported the arrest of four officials in connection with the botched launch. But the country said soon afterward that the extent of damage to the vessel was 'not serious,' and that it would take 'two or three days' to drain it, and another 10 to restore the destroyer's side. The South Korean military estimated that, based on its size and scale, the new warship was similarly equipped to the 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel Choe Hyon, which North Korea unveiled in late April. Seoul's unification ministry, which manages relations with Pyongyang, said no 'external structural defects have been identified on the destroyer.' But 'continuous monitoring is required to determine whether it is functioning normally,' the ministry said in a statement. Pyongyang has said the Choe Hyon is equipped with the 'most powerful weapons,' and that it would 'enter into operation early next year.' Some analysts said the ship could be equipped with short-range tactical missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads — although North Korea has not proven it has the ability to miniaturize its atomic arsenal. Seoul's military has said the Choe Hyon could have been developed with Russian help, possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight in Ukraine. North Korea confirmed in April for the first time that it had deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow in the Ukraine war. Hong Sung-pyo, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, said it is 'almost certain' that the North's latest warships are a result of Russia's assistance. 'North Korea is one of the very few countries that have supported Russia's war in Ukraine. Since it has provided very tangible assistance — including weapons and even personnel — Russia will find it difficult not to reciprocate,' he told AFP. 'What Pyongyang currently seeks the most are hard currency and advanced military technology.' South Korea's new president, Lee Jae-myung, elected last week in a snap election, has promised a more dovish approach toward Pyongyang, compared with that of his hawkish impeached predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol. The Lee administration has halted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts along the border, which Seoul began last year following a barrage of trash-filled balloons flown southward by Pyongyang. North Korea had resumed its own propaganda broadcasts, sending strange and eerie noises into the South, but it appears to have stopped.
