North Korean officials arrested for launching an explosive destroyer, in fatal danger

• North Korea has arrested four officials in connection with a warship launch.

• The national media’s response to the incident marked Kim Jong-un’s anger in the disaster.

• Experts say officials face serious (potentially fatal consequences).

North Korean experts told Business Insider that four officials were detained for serious damage on the day when the North Korean destroyer's ceremony could face potentially fatal consequences.

“I would say there is a high chance they will be executed,” said Joseph S. Bermudez, an analyst at the North Korean Defense Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

One amazing aspect is that North Korean media publicizes the incident to damage the speed of its latest warship and appoints it as an official.

The highly public nature of the announcement shows that Kim Jong Il is “very frustrated”.

What's wrong

The arrest was within days of the launch of the nameless 5,000-ton destroyer, which dumped the ship on its side and the hull was damaged. It is believed that the mechanism of rolling the boat into the water cracks, allowing the bow of the boat to be fixed on the dock, while the rear of it lies in the water and is submerged.

The state-owned media announced the arrests, citing the blame on the shipyard's chief engineer, head of Hull Construction Workshop and deputy manager of administrative affairs.

Highest ranking: Ri Hong Son, deputy director of the Ammunition Industry Department of the Central Committee of the Korean Workers' Party, was also arrested.

This warship is one of the next generation of Choe Hyon-class destroyers. The first was the nominal Choe Hyon, launched a month ago at Nampo Harbour on the west coast of the peninsula.

However, the second was built at the Changjin Shipyard in the east and generally did not produce large warships.

He said North Korea did not push it on dry dock or from the slide, but instead tried to launch it sideways, which may be that workers might not get the strength of the bigger ships.

When it comes to bigger boats, he said, “suddenly, you start using works that you haven’t used in years.”

As of Monday, satellite images showed that the ship's bow was still stuck on the dock, with evidence of dredging operations at the port entrance.

Why does Kim Jong Il heat up

After the release, state media will explode “responsible” officials.

This is an option.

“Usually, these things are done quietly,” Bemuders said.

Within hours of the disaster, the Pyongyang Times reported that Kim condemned it, calling it “untolerated “crime”. Several detailed updates to the recovery operation were followed.

The Choe Hyon-class destroyer is a step towards Kim Jong Il's major ambition: converting North Korea's main coastal navy into a blue water fleet, Bermudez said.

He added that the setback on the project was Kim Jong Il's “face slap”.

Although the full functionality of the new ship is not yet known, its sister ship, Choe Hyon (the first ship in the class) has modern features such as air defense systems and vertically launched missiles.

Edward Howell, an expert on North Korea’s politics at Oxford, said state media claimed it could carry missiles with nuclear capabilities — in which case the program “connects with North Korea’s broader nuclear ambitions.”

Bruce Bennett, North Korean defense analyst at Rand Thex Thew Tank, told BI, “The fact that this is very embarrassing for Kim is very embarrassing for Kim.

It was even more difficult after a massive South Korean naval exercise in the Yellow Sea earlier this month – it showed off its naval power after the first Choe Hyon launch.

There is another reason to condemn designated officials: In terms of domestic politics, “this brings attention to everyone.”

When his big plan that really matters, it's a big deal, “he will revenge,” he added.

Although officials say the damage is not as bad as initially evaluated – BI cannot independently verify – prevail in any field, it will still be taken seriously with the worst in order to “review irresponsible, irresponsible experience and unserious empiricist attitude”.

A generation of punishment

It is not clear what will happen to officials.

Rand's Bennett said that various punishments can be carried out through the judicial system, but often “due process” is the bullet on the head. ” said Rand's Bennett.

Daily NK reported that in January, North Korea carried out two unnamed nuclear power plant construction researchers because they failed to complete the project and improve technical standards. According to media reports, their junior colleagues were transported to a camp considered a political prison.

No matter what punishment is received, one thing could be: It will also attack the officials' families. Bennett said that in the logic of North Korea's judicial system, beliefs are “because of a major family flaw.” “So, three generations of families need to be dealt with.”

This could mean that the spouse, parents and even children of officials could be sent to grim prison camps and could also be downgraded in the country's social hierarchy Songbun.

“We don't know what their fate will be,” Howell said. “Their fate doesn't seem very pleasant.”

“But it is crucial that this will not have any impact on North Korea's broader pursuit of naval modernization, military modernization,” he added.

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