SEOUL: North Korea has begun a full-scale investigation into the accident that occurred during the launch of a warship this week, state media KCNA reported on Friday (May 23).
Pyongyang has said the incident on Wednesday was caused by a loss of balance while the vessel was being launched, and sections of the bottom of the warship were crushed.
An internal inspection found that there were no holes at the warship’s bottom, but the starboard hull was scratched and seawater flowed into the stern section through the rescue channel, the report said.
The extent of damage was “not serious”, the report said, adding the investigation group was ordered to find the cause of the accident and those responsible for it. The report did not mention any injuries or deaths as a result of the accident.
The isolated state’s leader Kim Jong Un, who watched Wednesday’s launch of the 5,000-ton destroyer at the northeastern shipyard of Chongjin, berated it as a “criminal act” that could not be tolerated, according to state media.
The mishap likely occurred in front of a large crowd, increasing the public humiliation for Kim, military analysts said.
