Kim immediately denounced the failure as "a criminal act" that "could not be tolerated", saying it had damaged the country's "dignity". He ordered that the ship be restored immediately, and those responsible be punished. Four party officials were subsequently arrested. This furious outburst, followed by the ship's swift repair, teaches us a lot about the North Korean regime, whose moves are often so difficult to decipher.
onsdag 18. juni 2025
What the capsizing and relaunching of a warship tells us about North Korea's regime
When North Korea's new warship capsized into the sea during its launch last month, it made international headlines. News organisations followed every development, from its successful refloating to its relaunch last Friday. But why such interest, given there were no casualties, and the damage to the hull appeared relatively minor? The intrigue has less to do with the failure itself and more with how Kim Jong Un reacted.
Kim immediately denounced the failure as "a criminal act" that "could not be tolerated", saying it had damaged the country's "dignity". He ordered that the ship be restored immediately, and those responsible be punished. Four party officials were subsequently arrested. This furious outburst, followed by the ship's swift repair, teaches us a lot about the North Korean regime, whose moves are often so difficult to decipher.
Kim immediately denounced the failure as "a criminal act" that "could not be tolerated", saying it had damaged the country's "dignity". He ordered that the ship be restored immediately, and those responsible be punished. Four party officials were subsequently arrested. This furious outburst, followed by the ship's swift repair, teaches us a lot about the North Korean regime, whose moves are often so difficult to decipher.
