North Korean destroyer launch fails in front of supreme leader

Kim Jong Un condemns 5,000-ton warship accident as 'criminal act'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends an earlier ceremony for the launch of a "new multipurpose destroyer," as per state media KCNA's reports, in Nampo, North Korea, in this handout picture released on April 26 by the Korean Central News Agency. © Reuters

May 22, 2025 12:41 JST

SEOUL (Reuters) -- A serious accident occurred Wednesday during the launch of a new North Korean warship while Kim Jong Un was attending the event, with the isolated state's leader calling it a "criminal act" that could not be tolerated, state media KCNA reported.

Kim, who witnessed the failed launch of the 5,000-ton destroyer, excoriated the accident as caused by "carelessness" that tarnished the country's dignity, and ordered the ship to be restored before a key ruling party meeting in June, KCNA said on Thursday.