North Korea issues update on capsized navy ship

North Korea has righted a naval ship that capsized and was damaged during a botched launch in May, restoring its balance and mooring it to a pier, state media confirmed.

The launch failure was an embarrassment for leader Kim Jong Un, who oversaw the incident and scolded the officials responsible, later saying they would be held criminally liable.

The destroyer is now set for repairs in the Rajin Dockyard over the next 10 days, North Korea’s KCNA reported, with a deadline for its “perfect restoration” set by Kim for before a major party congress in late June.

Outside experts say it remains unclear how severely the 5,000-ton-class destroyer was damaged. Kim had called the failure a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism.”

The destroyer became unbalanced and was punctured in its bottom sections after a transport cradle on the stern section slid off first and became stuck, KCNA said at the time.

“North Korea’s failed ship launch was a huge embarrassment to Kim Jong Un, especially since it happened in front of his eyes,” said Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution’s Center for Asia Policy Studies.

North Korean law enforcement authorities have detained at least four officials over the incident, including the vice director of the Workers’ Party’s munitions industry department, according to state media.

The North’s main military committee said those responsible would be held accountable for their “unpardonable criminal act.”

Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Thursday that the South’s military assesses that the North Koreans righted the ship earlier this week and are likely conducting drainage operations while examining the damage.

“The nature and duration of the repair process will vary, depending on internal repairs, additional work or whether the incident affected the keel,” Lee said, referring to the ship’s structural backbone.

“This could also affect how the ship is used going forward.”

The damaged warship was North Korea’s second known destroyer and seen as a crucial asset toward Kim’s goal of modernizing its naval forces.

North Korea launched the first of its Choe Hyon-class destroyers in late April at its Nampho shipyard southwest of Pyongyang, which analysts said was the largest warship the country had ever produced.

This new type of destroyer will be able to launch advanced weapons, including cruise and ballistic missiles, North Korea has said.

This is a developing article. Updates to follow.

This article uses reporting by The Associated Press.