SEOUL: North Korea has detained another official over last week’s failed launch of a warship, which damaged the 5,000-ton naval destroyer, state media reported on Monday (May 26).
Pyongyang announced “a serious accident” at Wednesday’s launch ceremony, which crushed sections of the bottom of the newly built destroyer.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called the mishap a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness”.
Ri Hyong Son, vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Party Central Committee, was summoned and detained on Sunday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
He was “greatly responsible for the occurrence of the serious accident”, it said.
Ri is the fourth person reportedly detained in connection with the accident, following the detention of three individuals over the weekend, including the chief engineer at the shipyard.
KCNA reported on Friday that shipyard manager Hong Kil Ho had been summoned by law enforcement
“At the scene of the destroyer launch accident, the work for completely restoring the balance of the warship is being actively conducted,” KCNA said, adding that it was being done “according to its schedule”.
