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North Korea Arrests Three Middle Managers Over Failed Warship Launch

The lost vessel is believed to be a sister ship of first-in-class frigate Choe Hyon, above (file image courtesy KCNA)
The lost vessel is believed to be a sister ship of first-in-class frigate Choe Hyon, above (file image courtesy KCNA)

Published May 25, 2025 9:36 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

North Korean authorities are making good on promises to investigate all those involved in the failed launch of a new frigate at Chongjin Shipyard. Three managers for the project - the workshop head and chief engineer at the yard, as well as a midlevel administrative official - have been arrested as the inquiry proceeds. 

North Korea does not have an independent judiciary, and conviction is likely for those who are charged with a crime. North Korea's state-owned media has already indicated that from the party's perspective, the failed launch was a "criminal act" and "unpardonable." 

Punishment in North Korea is often harsh: defectors, smugglers, dissidents and officials who fail to meet expectations may face execution. Recent examples include two nuclear power plant engineers who were killed for missing party-mandated technical targets, according to Daily NK, along with several dozen officials who were reported executed over the Yalu River flood disaster of 2024. Public execution by firing squad is not uncommon. 

Last week, North Korea's small navy expected to launch a new frigate with supreme leader Kim Jong Un in attendance. But instead of a celebratory event, the side launch system at the shipyard malfunctioned, and the vessel's stern slid into the  water while the bow remained elevated on shore. Satellite imagery suggests significant hull damage from the extreme forces that this abnormal event would exert on structural components. The vessel is now laying on its starboard side, partially submerged from the deckhouse aft, and it has been covered with blue tarps in an attempt to obscure the scene from surveillance. 

Prolonged immersion in saltwater is destructive, and for a high-end warship, even a refloated hull can be a total loss because of damage to sensitive electronics and equipment. Despite the appearance of serious damage to the vessel, Kim Jong Un has ordered it restored by next month.  

The newbuild is believed to be a sister ship or near-sister ship of the Choe Hyon, a first-in-class warship launched (successfully) last month at Nampo Shipyard. Choe Hyon - a heavily armed vessel with the displacement of a frigate - is likely capable of launching ballistic missiles, and has 74 VLS cells in several sizes.