Kim Jong Un Orders Restoration of Destroyer Before June Party Plenary Meeting
Describes Incident as "Extremely Serious Accident" and Demands Thorough Investigation
An accident occurred during the launch ceremony of a 5,000-ton-class destroyer built by North Korea. Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, who personally attended the ceremony, described the incident as "an extremely serious accident that is absolutely unacceptable and a criminal act," and ordered a detailed investigation into the circumstances of the accident.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 22, the accident took place the previous day during the launch ceremony of the 5,000-ton-class destroyer at the Chongjin Shipyard in North Hamgyong Province. Kim Jong Un was also present at the ceremony that day.
The agency reported, "Due to inexperienced command and careless operation during the launch process, the parallel movement of the bogies was not ensured, resulting in the launch sled at the stern detaching first, causing the ship to run aground and creating holes in the bottom of the hull in certain sections, which destroyed the balance of the vessel. In addition, a serious accident occurred in which the bow failed to detach from the slipway."
Kim Jong Un, who personally witnessed the accident at the launch site, delivered a stern assessment. According to the agency, Kim stated, "This is a grave and serious accident, absolutely impossible and absolutely unacceptable, caused purely by carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism. It constitutes a criminal act."
Kim Jong Un also issued a stern warning, stating, "The irresponsible mistakes of the relevant departments?including the Military Industry Department of the Party Central Committee, the Institute of Dynamics of the State Academy of Sciences, Kim Chaek University of Technology, the Central Ship Design Institute, and the relevant officials at the Chongjin Shipyard?who are responsible for this accident that instantly damaged the dignity and pride of our nation, cannot go unaddressed at the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee to be convened in June."
Kim Jong Un ordered the restoration of the destroyer before the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee in June. He emphasized, "Swiftly restoring the destroyer to its original state is not merely a practical matter, but a political issue directly related to the authority of the state, and therefore it must be completed unconditionally before the June plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee."
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