North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has opened up about the "serious accident" during the launch of a powerful warship.
On Thursday, May 22, the 5,000-ton destroyer was damaged after it was slid off of a flat car.
In a rare admission failure, the state media noted that the incident occurred due to "inexperienced commands and operational carelessness in the course of the launch."
Kim, who was present at the event, has ordered the warship to be restored before a key event in June, as the tipping caused some parts of ship's bottom to be crushed.
Furthermore, the supreme leader noted that those involved in the ship design will be held responsible for the incident which "severely damaged the dignity and pride of our nation in an instant."
Although, the severance of the punishment has not been revealed, the nuclear-armed state has a history of detaining citizens for even small incident.
South Korea reacts to the warship launch failure
Lee Sung-joon, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff shared that the US and their own intelligence authorities had been monitoring the launch.
He revealed that the ship was currently "lying on its side in the sea."
According to experts, North Korea's naval forces fall behind those of South Korea, which has 12 destroyers, the new warship is considered a serious threat.
About North Korea's new warship
The ship has been reportedly built with the aid of Russia, where the north has been sending troops and weapons to support the war against Ukraine.
Kim had called the warship "breakthrough" in modernising the country's naval forces and said that it would be ready to be deployed early next year.
