This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.
A North Korean warship that tipped over during its launch ceremony as the supreme leader looked on appears to have been righted, satellite imagery shows.
The U.S.-based website 38 North, which specializes in North Korea, said that imagery taken on Monday showed the 5,000-ton naval destroyer now standing upright at a shipyard in the northeastern port city of Chongjin.
The warship fell sideways into the sea during its launch at the shipyard on May 21, stoking the anger of leader Kim Jong Un, who called it a “grave and unacceptable accident” and a “serious criminal act.” He had demanded the vessel be fully restored before a key ruling party meeting later this month.
Monday’s imagery shows the vessel upright for the first time, with its bow on land, 38 North said. While parts of the ship remain obscured by thin cloud cover, the helipad markings near the stern are clearly visible, it said.
38 North said the recovery operation was likely conducted manually. In satellite imagery taken on May 29, workers could be seen pulling ropes attached to the vessel from the dock. More than 30 flotation balloons had been placed along one side of the warship apparently to help lift it upright.
Imagery also suggested potential damage to the ship’s sonar system, located on the lower hull. 38 North noted that any repair would require dry-docking the vessel, adding that Chongjin Shipyard lacks the necessary facilities, such as a large floating dock.
North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency had reported on May 23 that contrary to initial assumptions, no hull breach had occurred. It stated that draining the flooded compartments and restoring balance would take two to three days, while full side repairs would require roughly 10 days.
Fear as a motivator
Choi Il, director of South Korea’s Submarine Research Institute, told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday that the warship’s upright position represents significant progress in North Korea’s recovery effort.
“Since the ship has been righted, it’s fair to say that a substantial step has been taken,” Choi said. “There may have been some flooding, but probably nothing severe.”
While acknowledging the technical limitations of North Korea’s shipbuilding sector, Choi said the country has built up a degree of expertise over time.
“North Korea’s capabilities are not to be underestimated. Their shipbuilding may be outdated, but they do have experience,” he said.
Retired U.S. Navy Capt. James Fanell, former director of intelligence for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, echoed that assessment, and said that fear of the supreme leader would have been a strong incentive to get the job done.
“My take on this is that the power of life and death has a remarkable impact on one’s abilities,” Fanell told RFA. “In this case, it is clear that Kim Jong Un has threatened people with severe penalties if they were unable to meet his timeline for getting this destroyer upright and fixed.”
State media reported on May 25 that several officials from the Chongjin Shipyard have been arrested over the launch failure. Last year, a South Korean news outlet reported that North Korean officials were shot to death after devastating floods hit part of the communist country.
Although the warship launch accident was a major embarrassment for Pyongyang, Fanell said the recovery was likely more manageable because the ship had not sunk or been lost at sea.
“While it is a national embarrassment, the ship was not in the open ocean and it did not sink,” he said. “So, in essence, this was a ‘controlled evolution’ — one that would have the highest attention and support from the top to get it upright.”
Doubts remain, however, about whether North Korea can fully restore the vessel.
On May 27, the Beyond Parallel project at the Center for Strategic and International said it would be difficult to return the ship to pre-launch condition. It noted that realignment, replacement of electronics and wiring, and removal of saltwater corrosion would require extensive work.
