The North Koreans Sank a Ship - Their Own
A Moment of Glory, a Legacy of Ridicule
On May 21st, the North Korean Navy launched the Second Vessel of the Choi Hyon Class of 5,000-ton guided Missile Frigates, dubbed Destroyers.
Upon the ship rolling down the slipways, the unthinkable happened: North Korean Equipment (likely Russian technology) failed. The vessel capsized and is now to be found hidden under vast blue blankets, likely an attempt to hide the ship’s less-than-ideal launch.
Friedrich Dürrenmatt wrote in his setpiece, “The Physicians”:
The tyrants of this planet are not moved by the works of poets; they fear only one thing: their ridicule.
Indeed. And Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s sole well-fed citizen, has provided us with the perfect object of ridicule. It is only fitting, then, to apply salt liberally to this self-inflicted wound.
As North Korea became an official participant in the Russo-Ukraine war, an act of unprecedented aggression against Europe, many wondered: “Is the Kim Regime going to receive anything in return?”
With the successful launch of the first North Korean Naval vessel in late April this year, we can be confident in the exchange of technology between Russia and North Korea. The Navy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea hereby commissioned its first remotely capable warship. According to most analysts, the ship is believed to be equipped with up to 70 VLS-cells, a main gun, and several secondary weapon systems like point defence and separate anti-ship missile launchers. North Korea received access to Russian weapon systems and equipment in exchange for tens of thousands of body bags.
South Korean intelligence reports suggest the damage is irreparable. Only a full reconstruction could make the vessel seaworthy again. As of now, it is not a destroyer, but a monument to dysfunction. Most electronics and weapon systems certainly have become inoperable.
If anyone needs more proof of the catastrophe that Russian and North Korean weapons are, I can not help.
So, Kim, enjoy your newest addition to the fleet: a permanently submerged submarine.
