North Korea's 5,000-ton destroyer capsizes during Kim Jong-un's ceremonial launch
May 29, 2025
Key Points
- North Korea's 5,000-ton destroyer capsized during a ceremonial launch in Chongjin while Kim Jong-un watched from a VIP podium, forcing state media to suppress video of the failure.
- Naval experts attribute the collapse to inexperience with side launches, a rushed modernization timeline, and a warship overloaded with weapons that made it top-heavy.
- Four North Korean officials were detained over the incident, which exposed the country's struggle to modernize its Soviet-era fleet while constrained by inadequate infrastructure and resources.
Summary
North Korea's 5,000-ton destroyer capsized during its ceremonial launch in Chongjin while Kim Jong-un watched from a VIP podium. The 470-foot vessel, Kim's second destroyer built at the local shipyard, toppled into the water as it entered using a side launch technique. North Korean state media withheld video footage, leaving only satellite imagery of the slow-motion collapse.
Naval experts attribute the failure to inexperience with the side launch method, a compressed modernization schedule, and a top-heavy design from excessive weapon system loadouts. North Korea chose the riskier side launch approach to cut costs, while the US and South Korea use safer floating dock launches. The choice reflects the country's effort to modernize its Soviet-era naval fleet against severe resource constraints.
Four North Korean officials were detained over the mishap, which state media called an "unpardonable crime." A retired Marine colonel told reporters he has never witnessed a failure of this magnitude. The incident exposes the tensions between Kim's push to rebuild naval capability and the lack of adequate infrastructure or technical redundancy to support it.