Overview

• Four officials, including a senior party official, have been detained following the failed launch of a 5,000-ton destroyer at Chongjin port on May 21, 2025.
• The launch failure, witnessed by Kim Jong Un, damaged the warship's hull and left it listing in the water, with satellite images showing the vessel partially submerged and covered in tarps.
• North Korea claims repairs will be completed within 10 days, but analysts suggest the damage may be more severe, potentially requiring months to fully restore the ship.
• Kim Jong Un has ordered the warship to be repaired before a late June Workers' Party meeting, framing the incident as a matter of national honor and military discipline.
• The destroyer, part of North Korea's naval modernization efforts, is the second of its kind and is reportedly equipped to carry advanced weaponry, including nuclear missiles.