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North Korean media digitally erases ex-naval commander, shipyard manager from images after warship accident

Published: 14 Jun. 2025, 16:56 Updated: 15 Jun. 2025, 10:38

This composite image compares the original, left, and edited versions of an image during the inspection of a then under-construction warship by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right in both images, in March. The red circle in the original image shows the former North Korean chief naval commander, Kim Myong-sik, in military attire, and manager of the Chongjin Shipyard, Hong Kil-ho, looking on as Kim speaks, while the edited image — captured from the North's official Korean Central Television footage aired on June 13 — shows both men to have been digitally removed, in a photo captured from NK News. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

North Korea appears to have doctored recent state media images to remove a top naval commander and a shipyard manager after last month's failed launch of a new warship, NK News has reported.

In state media footage aired Friday on the relaunch ceremony of the 5,000-ton Kang Kon destroyer, Kim Myong-sik, the North's former chief naval commander, was notably absent from images showing leader Kim Jong-un's earlier inspection of the warship's construction.

Hong Kil-ho, manager of the Chongjin Shipyard -- where an incident involving the destroyer reportedly occurred -- also appeared to have been deleted from the images.

NK News said state media has not commonly deleted officials from photos since the 2013 execution of Jang Song-thaek, an uncle of Kim who was purged from senior leadership.

Kim attended the relaunch ceremony Thursday after the warship failed to properly launch into the sea on May 21. Satellite imagery taken after the failed launch showed the vessel semi capsized and partially submerged.

After last month's accident, North Korea's state media said Hong had been summoned by law enforcement for an investigation. State media photos of this week's relaunch ceremony indicated that Pak Kwang-sop replaced Kim Myong-sik as the chief naval commander.

Yonhap