North Korean Attempt to Launch Two Destroyers in Two Months Ends in Major Accident: Did Industry Move Too Fast?

On May 22 the attempted launch of a 5000 ton destroyer built for the Korean People’s Army Navy, the Chongjin, ended in a serious accident as the ship was left lying on its side next to the dock. The state run Korean Central News Agency reported regarding the incident: “Due to inexperienced command and operational carelessness, the parallel movement of the bogies could not be guaranteed, resulting in the launching sled in the stern detaching first and causing the ship to capsize. The ship’s balance was destroyed due to a rupture in the hull in some sections, and the bow section was unable to detach from the keel.” The incident was described by state media as having “brought the dignity and self-respect of [the] state to a collapse.” The incident was subsequently confirmed by satellite images of the&nbsp;Chongjin&nbsp;lying on its side. Orders were subsequently confirmed to have been issued to repair damage to the ship and have it ready for launch by the time of the plenary meeting of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party Central Committee in June.<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/23/article_6830a922c511e1_50990774.JPG" title="Korean People`s Army Navy Destroyer Choi Hyon">The Chongjin was side-launched from the quay, rather than placed in the waters slipways and stern-first as was the case with prior North Korean surface vessels, with unfamiliarity with this new means of launching ships potentially having contributed to the accident. Highlighting the importance of restoring the ship, Korean Workers’ Party Chairman Kim Jong Un stated: “The urgent restoration of the destroyer is not a simple practical issue, but a political issue directly related to the authority of the country.” The incident has stimulated renewed assessments of North Korea’s surge in shipbuilding efforts, as the country had before 2025 laid down no surface combat ships other than very small corvettes and patrol boots since the 1970s. The largest surface ship class built by the country before the 2020s, 1600 ton frigates built at the Najin Shipyard, saw all ships of the class completed before 1980. The construction of a large surface combatant like the Chongjin thus represents a very major leap for North Korea, with only South Korea, Japan, the United States, and China having built similarly heavily armed vessels in the past 20 years. The very ambitious nature of the shipbuilding program, which built on little industry experience, may have contributed to the accident.<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/23/article_6830a97c9517a9_34797672.JPG" title="Cruise Missile Launch From Korean People`s Army Navy Destroyer Choi Hyon">North Korean shipyards had previously been on schedule to launch two destroyers in two months, with the Chongjin’s sister ship, the Choi Hyon, having been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/nkorea-frigate-54pct-firepower-destroyer-choi-hyon" target="_blank">launched</a> seamlessly in April. The high rate of construction indicates that the country, which has never built destroyers or even large frigates in the past, could be seeking to field a substantial ocean-going navy, with sustained economic upturn and a surge in export revenues financing this. It remains uncertain whether further 5000 ton destroyers of the class were planned, or whether the Korean People’s Army Navy may have procured the two ships as a stepping stone for industry, before moving on to commission larger vessels. The&nbsp;Choi Hyon and&nbsp;Chongjin&nbsp;each integrate&nbsp;74 vertical launch cells each, including 20 larger cells capable of carrying Hwasong-11 ballistic&nbsp;ballistic missiles, which represents one of the highest ratios of launch cells per displacement ton of any surface combatant in the world. To place this figure in perspective, the U.S. Navy’s upcoming 7,300 ton Constellation Class frigates will integrate just 32 cells, while the U.S. Navy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/9billion-zumwalt-first-deployment-upgrades" >Zumwalt Class destroyers</a>&nbsp;which displace&nbsp;over 14,000 tons integrate 80 cells. The North Korean ships are equipped for long range air defence, anti submarine warfare, anti shipping and strikes on surface targets, and are thought to be capable of launching nuclear-armed land attack missiles.&nbsp;