A new North Korean warship was left lying on its side in the water after a failed launch in front of Kim Jong-un saw its hull crushed.
Kim, who witnessed the failed launch of the 5,000-ton destroyer, declared the incident a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness” and warned it “could not be tolerated”.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the accident at the eastern port of Chongjin was caused by a loss of balance while the vessel was being launched.
It left “some sections of the warship’s bottom crushed” and the bow was unable to exit the shipway, KCNA added.
South Korea’s military said the stricken warship was lying sideways in the water after the failed launch.
The report did not mention whether there were any casualties.
Kim said the accident “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse” and vowed to hold officials accountable for the “irresponsible errors”.
The North Korean leader said they would be dealt with at the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee to be convened next month. He ordered for repairs on the warship to be completed before June.
The rare public disclosure of the accident comes after Pyongyang unveiled another 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel named Choe Hyon last month.
Kim and his daughter stand in the bow of the destroyer Choe Hyon last month – AFP
At the time, state media ran images of Kim attending a ceremony with his daughter Ju Ae, considered by many experts to be his likely successor.
North Korea claimed the vessel was 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 nuclear missiles.
In a report last week on preparations for the launch of the accident ship, US-based analysis website 38 North said it appeared the ship would be side-launched from the quay, a method not previously observed in North Korea.
“The use of this launch method could be one of necessity, as the quay where the ship is being built does not have an incline,” the 38 North report said.
Commercial satellite imagery of the shipyard the day before the launch showed the destroyer positioned on the quay with support vessels by its side.
