Pyongyang - (Saba):
North Korea’s newest warship suffered severe damage during its launch ceremony on Wednesday.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that a launch mechanism failure caused the stern of the as-yet-unnamed 5,000-ton destroyer to slip prematurely into the water, crushing parts of the hull and leaving the bow stuck on the gangway.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who witnessed the incident, said it had brought shame on the nation’s prestige and vowed to punish those responsible.
Leader Kim described the launch failure as a “criminal act” and blamed it on “utter negligence” and “irresponsibility” by several state institutions, including the Department of Munitions Industry, Kim Chaek University of Technology, and the Central Ship Design Bureau.