North Korea has arrested the fourth official involved in the accident of a new destroyer that occurred during the ceremonial launch of the ship. According to the BBC, citing the North Korean KCNA news agency, it is Ri Hyong-song, deputy director of the Military Industry Department of the ruling Workers’ Party of the DPRK.
“He bears considerable responsibility for the serious accident,” the CPAC said in a statement.
Ri Hyong-song is also a member of the Central Military Commission, which coordinates the DPRK’s defence policy. His detention was the most high-profile in a series of arrests that followed the unsuccessful launch of the destroyer last week.
During the ceremony, which was personally attended by Kim Jong-un, the warship lost its balance and partially sank, damaging several sections of the bottom.
It is not yet officially known what punishment the detainees will face, but in North Korea, sanctions against officials can usually include forced labour, imprisonment or even the death penalty.
The incident was a blow to the regime’s prestige, as the launch of the new ship was supposed to demonstrate the DPRK’s strength and military modernisation.
