Seoul, Korea
AP
–
North Korea says it repaired the damaged second destroyer and launched it into the water in the presence of leader Kim Jong Un.
North Korea’s South Korea Central News Agency said it launched its destroyer – the second destroyer built this year, off the country’s eastern coast on Thursday. KCNA said Kim said the country’s two destroyers will play a major role in improving the operational capabilities of the North Korean Navy.
Kim reiterated his previous claim that his naval accumulation was a legitimate response to the perceived threat posed by the US and Asian allies.
He said North had vowed to respond to threats from his rivals with “overwhelming military action” and build a navy with “long-range operational capabilities.”
Last month, North Korea said the ship was damaged by a failed launch, causing anger from Kim. Kim vowed to build a stronger navy to deal with what escalates the US-led threat to his country.
Kim previously said the failure to release was caused by criminal negligence. North Korean provincial media later said authorities had detained four officials, including the deputy director of the Workers’ Party’s ammunition industry division, over the failed launch.
Due to the very secret nature of North Korea, it is virtually impossible to independently confirm any announcements regarding ship repairs. External experts previously said it remains unclear how severely damaged the 5,000-ton destroyer has been, and questioned North Korea’s announcement that damage to the ship could be repaired early.
The damaged warship was North Korea’s second known destroyer and was considered a key asset towards Kim’s goal of modernizing the navy. It is in the same class as the country’s first destroyer announced in April, and experts have rated it as the largest and most advanced warship in the North to date. Kim praised the ship, which was launched at Nampo’s West Port, saying it was moving forward with his goal of expanding the military’s scope of operation and nuclear strike capabilities.
This is a developing story and will be updated.