North Korea's Kim slams 'serious accident' at warship launch

In a recent event, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, expressed his strong disapproval regarding a significant mishap that occurred during the launch of a new warship. He referred to this incident as a 'serious accident' and labeled it a 'criminal act' that should not be tolerated. The state media reported that parts of the destroyer's bottom, which weighs 5,000 tons, were crushed, causing the ship to tip off balance. Kim, who was present at the launch, was visibly upset and stated that this accident severely damaged the 'dignity and pride' of North Korea in an instant. He has ordered that the ship be repaired before an important party meeting scheduled for June and has demanded accountability from those involved in the ship's design, emphasizing that their actions have brought shame to the nation. The reports from state media did not mention any injuries or casualties resulting from the incident. Kim attributed the accident, which took place at a shipyard in the eastern port city of Chongjin, to 'absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism. ' He indicated that the 'irresponsible errors' made by those involved would be addressed at a plenary meeting next month. While it remains unclear what consequences they might face, it is known that North Korea has a poor human rights record. Activists have pointed out that people can be punished for minor offenses, such as watching a South Korean DVD or attempting to defect from the country. It is quite rare for North Korea to publicly acknowledge local accidents, although there have been a few instances in the past. For example, last November, the country described a mid-air explosion of a military satellite that occurred six months earlier as a 'gravest failure' and criticized the officials who 'irresponsibly conducted preparations' for it. In August 2023, another failed satellite launch was blamed on an error in the emergency basting system, but officials downplayed it as 'not a big issue. ' This recent incident comes just weeks after North Korea unveiled a new 5,000-ton destroyer on the west coast, claiming it is capable of carrying over 70 missiles. Kim had previously described this warship as a 'breakthrough' in modernizing the country's naval forces and stated that it would be deployed early next year.