What Is Wrong With North Korea's Navy?

Photo Credit: REUTERS/KCNA

Is North Korea’s Navy Finally Falling Apart? -- Stefan Soesanto, The Diplomat

Two accidents in rapid succession suggest all is not well, but the country still has some significant assets.

North Korea’s state news agency (KCNA) and South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo reported on November 4 that two North Korean ships sank only a few days apart in mid-October during military drills in the East Sea. With KCNA releasing several photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un visiting the newly erected gravestones for the approximately 15-30 perished sailors, the two naval accidents have become a political tool in Pyongyang’s domestic power games. While it is extremely rare for the state media to report on North Korean military accidents, the two separate incidents do beg the question: Is the DPRK’s navy finally falling apart?

Media reports have so far identified the two sunken ships as the 60-meter long, 375-ton Hainan-class Submarine Chaser No. 233, and an undisclosed 100 to 200-ton North Korean patrol boat.

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My Comment: I was surprised by last week's reports from North Korea that their navy had experienced "two accidents". Normally .... such news is never reported. So why the publicity? If I was a betting man ... I would say that a decision has been made in Pyongyang that their Navy is going to be upgraded. Publicizing these incidents only underscores the seriousness of the situation, and it will nullify objections from the other services who are probably also suffering from equipment shortages and problems.