(Adnkronos) – A “serious incident” that “in an instant seriously damaged the dignity and pride of our country”. Those responsible will pay. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un does not seem to want to hide his anger after what happened during the launch of a new warship that ended in the worst possible way. A “criminal act” that “cannot be tolerated”, the result of “absolute negligence, irresponsibility” and “irresponsible errors”, are the words reported by the North Korean agency Kcna, which – in a completely unusual way – writes about what happened.
Before Kim’s eyes, the “5,000-ton destroyer” that was supposed to enter the North Korean fleet seemed to ‘lose its balance’ and parts of the hull would be damaged. According to South Korean military officials, the ship is ‘lying’ on its side.
The North Korean leader ordered work at record speed so that the destroyer would be ready before the plenary of the Central Committee of the ruling party scheduled for June. For the incident, which occurred yesterday at a shipyard in Chongjin, fingers are pointed at the entities that were involved in the design of the ship. North Korean media do not mention any casualties or injuries due to the incident. And they do not release images. “At the plenary of the party’s central committee,” Kim assures, the case will be addressed.
In April, the Choe Hyon, a North Korean-made destroyer, was unveiled, described as a “new generation” warship. There are still few details, but according to the South Korean military – CNN reports – the damaged naval unit could be similarly equipped to the Choe Hyon. And for analysts, the American network highlights, it would be practically impossible to meet the deadlines imposed by Kim for the work to be carried out for a new launch.
Last month Kim was immortalized with the Choe Hyon in the background. In the images released by Kcna alongside the North Korean leader was his daughter Kim Ju-ae. “The time has come for a responsible choice to accelerate the Navy’s nuclear weapons endowment, to defend the state and maritime sovereignty from current and future threats,” said the North Korean leader, as Pyongyang announced the start of tests in the presence of Kim of the Choe Hyon’s combat system, which – according to Pyongyang – should be operational “early next year”.
