North Korea Attempts to Float Destroyer Like the Movie 'Up'? Balloon Salvage Operation Spotted

Dozens of Floating Balloons Installed on Submerged New Destroyer
"Like a Movie, but Reality"... Possible Attempt at "Low-Cost Salvage"
Kim Jong Un Furious Over Capsizing Incident... Orders Restoration by June
Experts Point Out Limitations for Salvaging Large, Tilted Vessels

It has been confirmed through commercial satellite images that North Korea is using balloon-type buoyancy devices to salvage a new destroyer that recently ran aground during its launch process.

Photo of a destroyer captured by satellite. Decker Everles X.

On May 25 (local time), Decker Eveleth, a research analyst at the U.S. Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), shared an analysis of satellite images on SNS X (formerly Twitter), stating, "North Korea is using dozens of floating devices to lift the destroyer, much like the movie 'Up.'"

The satellite photo he released shows numerous oval-shaped balloon structures attached to the superstructure of the destroyer, which is submerged near the Cheongjin Shipyard.

Previously, on May 21, North Korea experienced an incident in which part of the hull of a new 5,000-ton destroyer capsized and became submerged during its launch ceremony at the Cheongjin Shipyard. Chairman Kim Jong Un reportedly called this a "serious criminal act," ordered that all those responsible be held accountable, and instructed that the hull be restored within June.

The use of balloons for salvage operations is considered a way to minimize costs and resources in situations where conventional maritime salvage technology is limited. However, experts have expressed skepticism about the actual feasibility of the salvage.