North Korea launches probe into accident during warship s launch

SEOUL – North Korea has begun a full-scale investigation into the accident that occurred during the launch of a warship this week, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on May 23.

Pyongyang has said the incident on May 21 was caused by a loss of balance while the vessel was being launched, and sections of the bottom of the warship were crushed.

An internal inspection found that there were no holes at the warship’s bottom, but the starboard hull was scratched and seawater flowed into the stern section through the rescue channel, the report said.

The extent of damage was “not serious”, the report said, adding that the investigation group was ordered to find the cause of the accident and those responsible for it. The report did not mention any injuries or deaths as a result of the accident.

The isolated state’s leader Kim Jong Un, who watched the May 21 launch of the 5,000-ton destroyer at the north-eastern shipyard of Chongjin, berated it as a “criminal act” that could not be tolerated, according to state media.

The mishap likely occurred in front of a large crowd, increasing the public humiliation for Mr Kim, military analysts said.

South Korea’s military said on May 22 that the ship was lying on its side in the water.

“The stern is seen swung out into the harbour as a result of the wheeled units placed under the frame sliding into the water while the bow remained on the side slipway,” said the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS),citing satellite imagery from May 22.

The shipyard in Chongjin has primarily produced cargo vessels and fishing vessels and “undoubtedly lacks significant expertise” in launching large warships such as the new destroyer, CSIS added.

It would take two to three days