North Korea edits images to remove ex-naval commander after warship accident

Seoul, June 14 North Korea appears to have edited recent state media images to remove a top naval commander after last month's failed launch of a new warship, local media have reported.

In state media footage aired on Friday on the relaunch ceremony of the 5,000-tonne Kang Kon destroyer, Kim Myong-sik, the North's former chief navy 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, reports Yonhap, quoting NK News.

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

The North's leader 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 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 navy commander.

Earlier on Friday, a North Korean naval destroyer damaged in a botched launch last month was relaunched, with leader Kim Jong Un presiding over the ceremony.

The ceremony for the ship baptised the Kang Kon was held on Thursday at the Rajin shipyard -- up the coast from where the botched launch occurred.

Last month, Pyongyang had said "a serious accident" happened in a May 21 attempt to launch the 5,000-tonne destroyer in the northeastern port city of Chongjin, with the mishap crushing sections of the bottom of the newly built ship.

Kim called the incident a "criminal act caused by absolute carelessness" and state media reported the arrest of four officials in connection with the botched launch.

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