North Korea: ”Destroyer accident, damage not serious” ... Teaser for severe punishment for those responsible

North Korea has revealed that after inspecting its new 5,000-ton destroyer, which capsized during its launch, the damage was less severe than initially thought.
On the 23rd, the Korean Central News Agency reported that the destroyer launching accident investigation group, consisting of prosecutors and experts, had announced a report on the serious accident that occurred at the Jun Jin (Shinhwa) shipyard on the 21st.
According to the news agency, "As a result of underwater and internal inspections, contrary to initial reports, there was no damage to the bottom of the vessel, but the starboard side of the vessel was scraped and a rupture occurred through the structural passageway at the stern.
"It was confirmed that a certain amount of seawater had entered the area," he said. The experts added, "It will take two to three days to drain the water from the flooded compartment, separate the bow from the launch pad and restore the balance of the ship.
"We expect it will take about 10 days to repair the starboard side," he said. Based on the report, the Korean Labor Day, scheduled for the end of next month, will be held as instructed by Kim Jong Eun, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea.
The repairs may be completed by the time of the 12th Plenary Session of the Party. The Workers' Party Central Military Commission, which received a report on the matter, said, "The damage to the ship is not serious," but added, "It should not have happened."
"We will investigate and expose the causes of this unacceptable and completely unacceptable accident and those responsible," he said.
"The fact remains that this was an act of violence, and those responsible will never be able to escape their guilt," he said, teasing the possibility of severe punishment.
"This is not because of financial losses, but to sound a strong warning against the careless, irresponsible, unscientific and empirical attitude that is prevalent in all sectors," he stressed.
The judicial authorities said, "We have begun the process of arresting those clearly responsible and proceeding with the investigation," and on the 22nd, Hong Gi-se of the Chongjin Shipyard
North Korea said on the 21st that while launching a newly constructed 5,000-ton destroyer from the side at the Chongjin Shipyard, the ship lost balance while moving between the bow and stern, causing the ship to collapse.
The day before, it was announced that the stern of the ship had slid into the sea and sunk. Kim was visiting the area to attend the launching ceremony that day, and witnessed the entire accident.
The chairman strongly condemned the accident as "a serious, grave accident that is completely unacceptable and a criminal act," and ordered an investigation into the accident.
Meanwhile, immediately after disclosing the accident to the public, North Korea launched a missile into the Sea of Japan on the morning of the 22nd.
Although several cruise missiles were fired, North Korean media did not mention the missile launches at all on the day.