In brief
After a major mishap during the launch of a Choe Hyun-class destroyer, North Korea's engineers creatively utilized balloons and manpower to right the vessel, marking a significant yet unconventional approach to naval engineering.
North Korea recently faced a significant embarrassment when a new Choe Hyun-class destroyer, weighing 5,000 tons, capsized during its launch. To salvage the situation, engineers, encouraged by the directive of Kim Jong-un, opted for an unorthodox strategy. With limited heavy machinery at their disposal, they turned to large balloons and mobilized hundreds of workers to lift the vessel back into an upright position.Two weeks post-accident, satellite imagery confirmed that the once-capsized ship was now floating vertically in the harbor of Chongjin, located on the northeastern coast of North Korea. The ship was situated approximately 580 feet from the ramp where it had initially failed to launch.Experts noted that in more advanced nations, engineers would typically employ a barge equipped with a powerful crane to reposition such a large vessel. Another commonly used technique involves parbuckling, a method famously executed during the 2013 Costa Concordia recovery in Italy when the luxury cruise liner sank. The approach taken by North Korea highlights the country's unique problem-solving methods, especially in contexts where resources are limited.
