North Korea Reports Second Successful Warship Launch
North Korea reports that it successfully launched a large warship this week after the initial attempt went horribly wrong last month. The massive vessel overturned and sank during its maiden launch in May, humiliating the country’s military.
Kim Jong Un was very upset when the 5,000-ton destroyer capsized during the inaugural ceremony. He instructed his people to repair it quickly and have another attempt. Today they claim that everything was flawless this time.
The leader and his daughter observed the second launch in a harbor in northern North Korea. Official images depict them standing side by side as the ship slid into the water smoothly.
But some foreign military personnel believe North Korea may be exaggerating how successful the repairs were. They claim it is not possible to repair a large warship in such a short time after it utterly overturned.
People Got in Big Trouble
When the initial launch failed, Kim Jong Un ensured that someone was held accountable. Four individuals were arrested – three shipyard workers and one senior official.
Having their ship totaled in North Korea for screwing something up is a very big deal. They rarely ever say when military operations screw up, so this malfunction was doubly embarrassing for them.
Images from space caught the ship upside-down bobbing in the water for weeks. Then you could see it being towed to a repair yard before they launched it back in the water again.
Building a Stronger Navy
This destroyer is one of two enormous new vessels North Korea constructed last year. They’re the largest warships the nation has ever produced and might be used to deliver nuclear weapons if they choose to.
The vessel has a name – Kang Kon – named after a famous ancient North Korean war hero. Kim Jong Un desperately needs to construct more ships like this one to grow his navy.
He spoke during the new opening and indicated the previous accident would not delay his ambitions to develop the military. He also made some threatening remarks concerning other nations observing North Korean vessels off their coastlines.
Questions About the Fix
Other nations’ military people don’t think the ship was really fixed that quickly. When a large warship turns over entirely, it typically takes several months to get all the damage fixed.
The truth that North Korea got it back in the water so rapidly leads one to suspect they only wanted to appear good instead of actually having everything properly repaired. This might mean the ship may have other issues later on.
Kim Jong Un states he would like to construct two additional vessels like this one next year as part of his vision of enhancing North Korea’s navy significantly.
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