Why North Korea has deployed balloons to damaged warship after botched launch

Why North Korea has deployed balloons to damaged warship after botched launch

The naval destroyer was to be launched as part of North Korea’s ambitious naval modernisation effort. However, on May 21, a malfunction caused the ship to slide prematurely into the water, causing damage to the hull

An image captured on May 22, 2025, by U.S. commercial satellite company Planet shows North Korea’s new navy destroyer, which capsized on launch on May 21 at Hambuk Shipyard. (Source: Planet Labs PBC)