Kim Jong Un's warship launch ends in disaster; North Korean leader vows strict punishment for culprits

Kim Jong Un's warship launch ends in disaster, revealing cracks in North Korean naval ambitions

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's ambitious plans to upgrade his nation's aging naval fleet suffered an embarrassing blow this week when a new 5,000-ton warship stalled during its launch at a shipyard in the coastal city of Chongjin.

The ship, a prime component of Kim's modernisation drive, became partially submerged and listed after what North Korean state media termed a "serious accident" due to "absolute carelessness" and "unscientific empiricism, the Wall Street Journal reported.

A symbol of failure for a regime that depends on military pride

The botched launch was especially embarrassing to Kim, who attended the ceremony in person and compared the bungled rollout to a "criminal act." The destroyer's hull was reported crushed and bow left stranded during a side-to-side push into the water by North Korean reports. South Korean defence officials, quoting satellite images, confirmed the vessel was on its side in the harbour.

The debacle is a setback for Kim's naval strategy, which has grown more focused on asserting naval power in an effort to keep pace with the advanced fleets of South Korea and the US. The majority of North Korea's modern warships are relics of the Soviet period and do not have the range and firepower of the modern naval fleets.

Naval power as a cornerstone of Kim's strategic vision

The launch failure follows only weeks after Kim oversaw the successful commissioning of another destroyer in the so-called "Choe Hyon" class—named for a loyalist general of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first leader. That vessel was reportedly used in test-firing a supersonic cruise missile, an air-defence missile, and a 127-mm gun and included Russian-type air-defence systems.

Standing in front of the previous ship in April, Kim had talked passionately about the role of the navy in defending national sovereignty. During a speech, he presented naval power as necessary for peace and development, especially for a nation bordered on both its eastern and western sides by seas.

But the debacle in Chongjin exposed the difference between intention and action. Kim denounced officials responsible for the launch, condemning their mismanagement as an insult to the state's honour. He promised a complete overhaul and vowed that the naval modernisation programme would be on track within a month.

Strategic stakes for North Korea's maritime expansion

Although North Korea's economy is struggling and food is in chronically short supply, Kim has gone on a spending spree for military modernisation to show force and rally national pride. Projecting the nation's naval power has become more imperative as North Korea tries to diversify its largely land-based military, which is simpler for enemies to monitor and pre-empt.

North Korean state media also covered Kim's recent trips to shipyards that are engaged in constructing nuclear-powered submarines, one of the most prioritised weapons on his list after satellite reconnaissance and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Pyongyang's increasing military alliance with Russia has added impetus. Over the past months, the two nations have allegedly intensified cooperation in weapon research and development, provision of munitions, and even deployment of troops. South Korean officials and weapons experts point to similarities between some North Korean designs and Russian military equipment.

A brittle dream, revealed

Wednesday's accident does more than send a ship to the bottom. It destroys a key leg of Kim Jong Un's plan to make North Korea a major seapower. It also threatens to hurt his reputation as a commander who can bring military glory in the midst of economic austerity and global sanctions.

Whether or not the failure is temporary or a symptom of more fundamental defects in North Korea's war-fighting capabilities remains to be seen. But for the moment, it is a strong reminder of the difficulty that Kim has in translating ambition into dependable firepower.