The report by North Korean state media aligned with South Korean military assessments and recent commercial satellite images.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said experts will closely examine the ship’s hull before beginning the next phase of restoration, which will take place at a dry dock at the neighboring port of Rajin and is expected to last seven to 10 days.
Satellite images taken Thursday by Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press showed the stricken destroyer upright and floating. It wasn’t immediately clear from the image just how much damage had been done to the vessel, which had been in the water for days after the failed launch. However, the ship did not appear to be noticeably listing, meaning Pyongyang is likely able to send it onward to the other port to inspect the vessel’s electronics.
Jo Chun Ryong, a senior official from the ruling Workers’ Party, told the agency that the “perfect restoration of the destroyer will be completed without fail” before a major party congress in late June, a deadline set by Kim.
Outside experts say it remains unclear how severely the 5,000-ton-class destroyer was damaged during a botched launching ceremony in late May, which triggered a furious response from Kim, who called the failure a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism.”
North Korean law enforcement authorities have detained at least four officials over the incident, including the vice director of the Workers’ Party’s munitions industry department, according to state media. The North’s main military committee said those responsible would be held accountable for their “unpardonable criminal act,” the AP reported.
While North Korea’s naval forces are widely seen as far inferior to those of its rivals, analysts say a destroyer equipped with modern missile and radar systems could still boost the North’s offensive and defensive capabilities.