NewsHail
23 May 2025
Satellite pictures showed a shipyard accident in North Korea for the first time. A new warship was damaged while Kim Jong Un, the leader, was there.
The picture shows the warship on its side. It is covered with big blue tarps. Part of the ship looks like it is on land.
An official check of the accident started. Kim called the accident a "criminal act," state news said on Friday.
No reports said anyone was hurt in the accident on Thursday. It happened in Chongjin, a port city in the east.
North Korea's news agency, KCNA, said the damage was "not serious." They said there were no holes in the ship's bottom, unlike early reports.
KCNA said, "The right side of the hull was scratched. Some seawater got into the back part through the rescue channel."
The shipyard manager, Hong Kil Ho, has been called by the police, KCNA said.
Fixing the ship's side will take about 10 days, KCNA added.
Kim said the accident happened because of "carelessness, no responsibility, and bad methods."
He said those who made the mistakes will be punished at a meeting next month.
We don’t know what the punishment will be. North Korea has a poor record on human rights.
North Korea does not often tell the public about local accidents. It has done so only a few times before.
This accident happened weeks after North Korea showed a similar 5,000-ton destroyer called Choe Hyon.
Kim called that warship a "breakthrough" for North Korea’s navy. He said it will be used early next year.
