The former commander of North Korea’s navy has reemerged in state media just weeks after being scrubbed from official photographs over the botched launch of a warship in May.
The ex-commander, Kim Myong Sik, appeared alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a documentary that aired on state television over the weekend, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
Why It Matters
The news unfolded as North Korea presses forward with upgrades to the country’s military forces. These efforts extend to North Korea’s modest navy, with Kim previously calling for the addition of nuclear-capable warships.
North Korea analysts have speculated that the public management of the aftermath of the botched launch and how officials were disciplined—or, in Kim Myong Sik’s case, at least partially rehabilitated—is closely tied to Kim Jong Un’s attempts to portray an image of strong leadership and control over the military modernization efforts.
What To Know
The documentary marked Kim Myong Sik’s first public appearance since his name and image were deleted from earlier broadcasts and he was confirmed removed from the top naval post following a May 21 incident, which left a new destroyer damaged and partially submerged.
Kim Jong Un was infuriated by the debacle, labeling it “a serious accident and criminal act caused by sheer carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which should never occur and could not be tolerated,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
Subsequently, Kim Myong Sik and Hong Gil Ho, then manager of Chongjin Shipyard, were erased from photos of earlier inspection visits shown by Korean Central Television in mid-June.
This type of removal from official imagery had not occurred since the 2013 execution of Jang Song Thaek, the leader’s uncle and a high-ranking official.
The fate of the ousted navy chief drew speculation from analysts, especially after state media said he had been replaced by Park Kwang Seop. Both Kim Myong Sik and Hong were “conspicuously absent” from the destroyer’s relaunch ceremony.
The former commander’s presence in the documentary, where he appeared at official events with Kim Jong Un, contrasts sharply with his earlier erasure from state coverage.
Kim Myong Sik’s public reappearance is being viewed by analysts as a sign Kim’s anger has subsided or as a tactical effort to maintain continuity among the military’s upper ranks.
What People Have Said
The Korean Central News Agency previously wrote of the ship incident: “Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un made a stern assessment, saying that it was a serious accident and criminal act caused by sheer carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which should never occur and could not be tolerated.”
38 North, a North Korea-focused program of the Stimson Center think tank, wrote in June: “It may be some time before the North Korean navy becomes a credible threat to the region, but North Korea’s latest feat—successfully refloating a 5,000-tonne destroyer after a failed launch attempt in a matter of just 15 days—only reminds us that the country tends sooner or later to achieve in at least some form what it sets out to do.”
What Happens Next
The destroyer at the center of the accident is reportedly undergoing repairs at the Rajin Dockyard.
The timeline for the warship’s entry into service, or for any forthcoming statements about the ultimate fate of Kim Myong Sik or other individuals involved, has not been announced. North Korean media have not clarified whether Kim Myong Sik will return to a senior leadership post, continue to face internal sanctions, or serve in another capacity inside the regime.
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