Mysterious sight appears over stricken North Korea warship

A curious sight has been captured on satellite images of North Korea’s stricken new naval destroyer, so what is going on?

North Korea has deployed a series of mysterious objects alongside its stricken warship that ran into trouble during its launch last week, according to reports.

Satellite images show the objects – believed to be balloons – floating alongside the 5000-tonne ship, which has been left laying on its side and partially submerged since the incident.

While their exact purpose is unknown, experts told CNN the objects may be used to manoeuvre the ship back upright.

Another possible goal of using the objects was to protect the vessel from drones.

This satellite image shows North Korea's new naval destroyer on May 24, 2025, in Chongjin, North Korea. Picture: Maxar Technologies via AP

It comes as another official was detained over the botched launch, which left North Korean leader Kim Jong-un furious.

Jong Un slammed the mishap, which left some sections of the bottom of the newly built destroyer crushed, and called it a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness”.

The warship pictured at the harbour ahead of its launch in Chongjin on May 20 (top) and the warship that appears to be capsized. Picture: Handout/2025 Planet Labs PBC/AFP

He warned that it “could not be tolerated” and that the “irresponsible errors” of the officials responsible would be dealt with at a Workers’ Party meeting next month.

Ri Hyong Son, vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Party Central Committee, was summoned and detained on Sunday, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

Kim Jong-un speaks during a launching ceremony of a new naval destroyer at a western port in Nampo in April. Picture: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File

He was “greatly responsible for the occurrence of the serious accident”, it said.

Ri is the fourth person reportedly detained in connection with the accident, following the detention of three individuals over the weekend. That includes the chief engineer at the shipyard.

This satellite image shows North Korea's new naval destroyer in Chongjin, North Korea. Picture: Technologies via AP

Hong Kil Ho, the manager of the shipyard in the eastern port city of Chongjin where the accident took place, was summoned by law enforcement on Thursday.

South Korea’s military said US and Seoul intelligence authorities assessed that North Korea’s “side-launch attempt” of the ship failed.

“The side-launch method used in this case is no longer employed by South Korea’s military,” Lee Sung-jun, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

Satellite images, released by Maxar Technologies, showed the ship lying sideways, with the stern in water and the bow on land.

KCNA, however, reported that an “underwater and internal inspection of the warship confirmed that, unlike the initial announcement, there were no holes made at the warship’s bottom”, calling the extent of the damage “not serious”.

– With AP

Originally published as Mysterious sight appears over stricken North Korea warship