North Korea has erased top naval commander Kim Myong Sik and shipyard manager Hong Gil Ho from state media images after a humiliating warship launch disaster where a 5,000-ton guided-missile destroyer capsized, triggering Kim Jong Un’s wrath and an unprecedented purge of military leadership.
Key Takeaways
- North Korea has digitally removed former Navy Commander Kim Myong Sik and shipyard manager Hong Gil Ho from state media after a 5,000-ton destroyer capsized during its initial launch
- Kim Jong Un was furious about the failed launch, calling it a “serious accident and criminal act” and threatening legal action against those responsible
- The warship was allegedly repaired and relaunched within weeks, though experts question whether repairs could be fully completed in such a short timeframe
- The nuclear-capable destroyer is part of Kim Jong Un’s naval expansion program, with plans to build two more similar vessels in the coming year
- This type of state media manipulation is rare in North Korea since the 2013 execution of Jang Song-thaek, suggesting severe consequences for those held responsible
North Korea’s Digital Purge Signals Leadership Shakeup
In a move reminiscent of Stalinist-era propaganda tactics, North Korea has airbrushed former Navy Commander Kim Myong Sik and Chongjin Shipyard manager Hong Gil Ho from state media photographs following the embarrassing capsizing of a new naval destroyer. The digital erasure, revealed through NK News analysis, represents a significant escalation in the ongoing fallout from the May 21st launch disaster when the regime’s prized 5,000-ton guided-missile destroyer keeled over and partially submerged. The manipulation of imagery, broadcast on Korean Central Television (KCTV), shows Kim Jong Un inspecting the warship with the two officials conspicuously missing.
North Korea has detained key officials following a failed launch that damaged a destroyer, state media reported. https://t.co/Az2DcMUc1g
— Bloomberg (@business) May 25, 2025
“North Korea has deleted the country’s top navy commander and the manager of the shipyard where a warship launch disaster occurred from images in state media, according to NK News analysis, suggesting purges related to the failed launch have been wider than previously reported,” reported NK News analysis.
Kim Jong Un’s Fury Unleashed After Maritime Disaster
The failed launch in May provoked an unusually public display of anger from the North Korean leader, who demanded immediate repairs and severe consequences for those responsible. State media reported that four officials, including three from the shipyard and one senior official, were arrested following the incident. Pak Kwang-sop has now replaced Kim Myong-sik as chief navy commander, confirming the serious nature of the purge. The regime’s swift action underscores the high stakes involved in North Korea’s military modernization program and the personal humiliation the incident caused Kim Jong Un, who had invested significant resources and prestige in the naval expansion.
“Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un made a stern assessment, saying that it was a serious accident and criminal act caused by sheer carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which should never occur and could not be tolerated,” reported The Korean Central News Agency.
Questionable Rapid Recovery and Nuclear Naval Ambitions
North Korea claims to have fully restored the vessel and conducted a successful relaunch attended by Kim Jong Un and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. However, military experts express skepticism about the completeness of repairs given the short timeframe between the disaster and the relaunch. The destroyer is one of two new 5,000-ton naval vessels built by North Korea in the past year, both reportedly capable of launching nuclear weapons. This development marks a significant advancement in the regime’s maritime nuclear capabilities and fits into Kim’s broader strategy of developing a nuclear triad that can strike from land, sea, and air.
“Soon, enemies will experience how provocative and unpleasant it is to sit and watch the ships of an adversary run rampant on the fringes of sovereign waters,” said Kim Jong Un.
Despite the embarrassing setback, Kim Jong Un has publicly maintained that the incident has not hampered North Korea’s military modernization efforts. During the relaunch ceremony at Rajin Port, he issued veiled threats to regional adversaries while recommitting to building two more destroyers in the coming year. Satellite imagery has documented the ship’s progression from capsized to allegedly repaired and refloated, though the images raise questions about how thoroughly the complex systems of a modern warship could be restored in such a compressed timeframe. The incident provides rare insight into both North Korea’s advancing naval capabilities and the brutal internal consequences for failure within the regime’s military industrial complex.
