SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday it has repaired its damaged second destroyer and launched it into the water in the presence of leader Kim Jong Un, about three weeks after it capsized during an earlier, botched launch ceremony.
North Korea’s extremely secretive nature makes it virtually impossible to independently confirm its announcement on the ship’s repair. Outside observers doubt whether the ship’s electronic and other equipment can function normally, as parts of the warship were submerged for weeks.
North Korea's failed launch on May 21 sparked fury from Kim, who has vowed to build a stronger navy to cope with what he calls escalating U.S.-led threats against his country. Kim said the incident was caused by criminal negligence and ordered officials to repair the warship before a ruling Workers’ Party meeting in late June. North Korean authorities later detained four officials including the vice director of the Workers’ Party’s munitions industry department over the botched launch.
North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency said Friday it launched the destroyer — the second it built this year — off the east coast of the country on Thursday. KCNA cited Kim as saying the country’s two destroyers will play a big role in improving the North Korean navy’s operational capabilities.
Kim reiterated previous claims that his naval buildup is a justified response to perceived threats posed by the U.S. and its allies in Asia, which in recent years have expanded their combined military exercises and updated their deterrence strategies to counter Kim’s nuclear ambitions. He said the North will respond to the threats by his rivals with “overwhelming military action” and vowed to build a navy with “long-range operational capabilities.”
“It will not be long before the enemy nations themselves experience just how provoking and unpleasant it is to sit back and watch as our warships freely move near the edges of their sovereign waters,” Kim said.
Outside experts earlier said it remained unclear how severely the 5,000-ton-class destroyer was damaged and questioned North Korea's claim that it needed 10 days to fix the ship's damages that it described as “not serious.”
The damaged warship was in the same class as the country’s first destroyer unveiled in April, which experts assessed as the North’s largest and most advanced warship to date. Kim lavishly praised that ship, which was launched in the western port of Nampo, saying it advances his goal of expanding the military’s operations range and nuclear strike capabilities.
Kim said the ruling Workers’ Party has confirmed plans to build two more 5,000-ton-class destroyers next year, according to Friday's KCNA dispatch.
Hyung-jin Kim And Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press
