North Korea: After “express” repairs, its new destroyer is back on the water

North Korea announced that it has successfully refloated its new 5,000-ton destroyer, which capsized during a failed launch last month. State media reported that the vessel will be taken to another shipyard for repairs.

According to KCNA, “after restoring the destroyer’s balance in early June, the team safely anchored it on Thursday afternoon.” Satellite images from Planet Labs taken on June 5 show the ship upright and floating in the water, far from the launch site.

This destroyer, North Korea’s most advanced warship, was celebrated as a significant achievement in the regime’s naval modernization efforts. However, on May 21, a malfunction in its launching mechanism caused the stern to sink prematurely, damaging part of the hull while the bow remained stationary on the shipyard ramp.

A briefing from that time acknowledged some damage but asserted it was not as severe as initially believed. Kim Jong Un, who witnessed the incident in Chongjin, referred to it as a “criminal act” and announced the arrest of four individuals deemed responsible.

The North Korean leader has mandated the immediate repair of the still-unnamed ship, emphasizing its national significance and setting a deadline for late June.

KCNA reported, “The next phase of detailed restoration will take place at the Rajin shipyard and will last 7 to 10 days.” Jo Chun Ryong, Central Committee Secretary and head of the restoration effort, promised a “perfect repair” before the upcoming Party meeting.

The swift progress of this operation surprised analysts, as many expected the recovery would take at least a month. “I must express my admiration for the rapid solution; what I anticipated would take four to six weeks was completed in just two,” said analyst Carl Schuster, a former U.S. Navy officer.

Satellite images indicate that the refloating method used aerostatic balloons attached to the hull to restore balance.

Despite initial concerns regarding significant deformation of the hull and keel, the damage turned out to be less severe than anticipated. “We found that the damage was much lighter than feared,” Schuster remarked, adding that if similar efficiency is applied to internal repairs, the ship could be ready for sea trials sooner than originally expected.