Kim Jong Un: Punishments Will Follow Failed Warship Launch

Kim Jong Un has vowed to punish the people responsible for a failed warship launch. The North Korean dictator said the accident was a "criminal act" that "severely damaged the dignity and pride of our nation in an instant," the BBC reports. According to state media, Kim was watching in the port city of Chongjin on Wednesday as the 5,000-ton destroyer lost balance on a slipway. South Korean military officials said satellite images showed that the ship ended up lying on its side in the water, reports the New York Times. The Times calls the accident, which tore holes in the ship's hull, a "huge embarrassment" for Kim.

Last week, 38North reported that the warship, the country's second new destroyer in a month, would "likely be side-launched from the quay," a method not previously observed in North Korea. Kim blamed the accident on "absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism," per the BBC. He issued an order for the ship to be restored before a meeting of the ruling party next month, when the "irresponsible errors" of those involved would be dealt with. The damaged warship and one that was successfully launched last month are the biggest North Korea has ever built, the Times reports. The South Korean military believes they were constructed with Russian assistance, reports the Guardian. (More Kim Jong Un stories.)