Pyongyang, North Korea – North Korea’s latest effort to display military might suffered a major embarrassment this week when a newly built warship capsized during its launch ceremony, right in front of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

The 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class destroyer, hailed by state media as a symbol of North Korea's rising maritime power, flipped onto its side at the Chongjin shipyard on May 21. According to reports, the side-launch maneuver went disastrously wrong, causing the ship's stern to enter the water too quickly while the bow remained stuck, resulting in massive structural damage.

Eyewitnesses say Kim Jong Un, who was present at the ceremony, was visibly furious. He later condemned the incident as a “serious accident” caused by “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism.” North Korea’s state-run media labeled the failure as a “criminal act” that dishonored the country’s military pride.

The failed warship was reportedly equipped with advanced missile systems. It is a phased array radar, part of North Korea’s broader strategy to strengthen its naval capabilities amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

Now half-submerged and damaged, the warship’s future is uncertain. Kim has ordered emergency recovery and repairs to be completed before a major party meeting scheduled for June. The high-level rebuke and the urgency to fix the ship underscore the pressure North Korean military engineers face under Kim's leadership.

This public admission of failure is rare for North Korea, where state media usually avoids acknowledging military shortcomings. Analysts suggest this could signal internal frustration over technological constraints, aging infrastructure, and the country’s shipbuilding capacity limitations.

As global attention turns to the region, this incident highlights the delicate balance North Korea faces between projecting military strength and managing the realities of its restricted industrial base.

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