North Korea is continuing to restore the Choe Hyon-class destroyer that was damaged in an accident during its launch on May 21, 2025, in the port of Chongjin. Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies on June 8 show that the ship has been moved to a dry dock at the Rajin Shipyard in the city of Rason, located in the northeast of the country near the border with Russia. The move, according to analysts, underscores Pyongyang’s desire to quickly return one of its largest ships to service despite technical difficulties and limited shipbuilding infrastructure.

The accident, which occurred before the eyes of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was a serious blow to the country's prestige. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the incident was caused by "carelessness and incompetence" during an attempt to launch the 5000-ton destroyer from the side, which led to its capsizing and partial sinking. The stern of the vessel came off the slipway prematurely, while the bow remained on dry land, causing damage to the bottom and, presumably, the hydroacoustic sonar. Kim Jong-un called the incident a "crime" and demanded that repairs be completed before the June plenary session of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, emphasizing the political significance of the project. Four people, including the chief engineer of the Chongjin shipyard and a party functionary, were arrested in connection with the incident.

According to Reuters, North Korean workers used an unusual method to repair the ship, using hundreds of people to manually pull ropes and more than 20 airship-shaped balloons to increase buoyancy. Satellite images from June 2 published by the think tank 38 North showed that the destroyer was righted and returned to an upright position 12 days after the accident, although the DPRK authorities initially promised to complete the work in three days. The move of the ship to Rajin, located in the Rason Special Economic Zone, indicates an intention to conduct a full-scale repair in a more equipped dock. According to CNN, the Chongjin shipyard, where the incident occurred, does not have sufficient infrastructure to repair large military vessels, unlike the Rajin plant, which is considered a key shipbuilding hub for the DPRK Navy.

The Choe Hyon-class destroyer is part of an ambitious modernization program for North Korea's navy, which, according to The Wall Street Journal, has about 420 warships, mostly aging Soviet-era models. The first ship of the class was successfully launched on April 25 in Nampo, and is believed to be equipped with a Russian air defense system.