All news

North Korea rights capsized destroyer, Seoul says

Additional repair efforts are believed to be in progress

SEOUL, June 5. /TASS/. North Korean authorities righted the warship that capsized on May 21 with the country’s leader Kim Jong Un in attendance, South Korea’s armed forces reported.

"The North Korean warship that tipped over at the Chongjin port was restored to an upright position earlier this week. Additional repair efforts are believed to be in progress," Lee Sung-jun, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff’s (JCS) spokesman, told a regular press briefing, noting that probably water must be drained from the submerged part of the vessel first. He added that both US and South Korean intelligence continue to monitor the situation.

On May 21, an incident occurred during the launch of the destroyer in the presence of the North Korean leader. The release mechanism was triggered too early, sending the vessel into the water while the bow remained on the slipway. Kim condemned the mishap as gross negligence and ordered the vessel to be repaired by the June plenary session of the ruling party.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that damage to the ship was not severe.