North Korea relaunches a naval destroyer at Rajin Shipyard, June 12, 2025, in this image from the state-run Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA)
North Korea says it has repaired and relaunched a naval destroyer that capsized during a failed launch attempt last month, but defense experts remain skeptical about the regime’s claim of a quick recovery.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the relaunch of the 5,000-ton warship Thursday at Rajin Shipyard on the country’s northeastern coast, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.
The event came just three weeks after that vessel capsized and sustained hull damage during a launch attempt at Chongjin Shipyard, about 50 miles south of Rajin. In a rare admission, KCNA acknowledged the failure, quoting Kim at the time as calling it a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness.”
Despite the setback, KCNA on Friday portrayed the relaunch as a testament to North Korea’s maritime strength. The rapid repairs are proof of the communist regime’s “progress and lead of the warship-building industry,” the report said.
“No obstacle could delay the important course of bolstering up the naval combat power,” it added.
However, defense analysts have questioned that narrative.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, said in a report Thursday that satellite photos show the warship had likely been transferred to Rajin by June 7.
The imagery also suggests water was being pumped from the vessel and that key components, including missile systems and gun mounts, were covered with netting, the report said.
It seems “hardly possible” that North Korea was able to complete the repairs in such a short timeframe, said Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
Images of the destroyer released by KCNA show only the exterior of the warship and it is unclear if its interior was still seaworthy after the damage, Yang told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday.
“I think when the ship capsized, its port side had a lot of water flooded in, which would’ve damaged the ship’s internal electronics,” he said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the relaunch ceremony for a naval destroyer at Rajin Shipyard, June 12, 2025, in this image from the state-run Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA)
North Korea has pledged to expand its naval power as part of a broader military buildup, citing what it calls “provocations” by the United States and South Korea. Recent joint drills by the U.S., South Korea and Japan have drawn condemnation from Pyongyang.
Despite the setback last month, KCNA said the country remains committed to its naval ambitions and will construct two more destroyers of similar size to the one launched from Rajin.
Thursday’s launch was an attempt to “restore the prestige lost from the incident” last month, South Korean Ministry of Unification spokeswoman Chang Yoon Jeong said at a news conference in Seoul on Friday.
It is too early to assess the veracity of North Korea’s claim in building two additional destroyers, but the South will continue to monitor the communist regime’s efforts, she added.
Stars and Stripes reporter Yoojin Lee contributed to this report.
