Kim promised to punish those responsible for the “catastrophic failure” after the naval vessel partially capsized during a ceremony attended by the leader.

A serious accident occurred on Wednesday during the launch of a new North Korean warship while Kim Jong Un was attending the event, with the isolated state's leader calling it a "criminal act" that could not be tolerated,

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a test of short-range ballistic missiles and long-range artillery in a demonstration of Pyongyang's nuclear counterstrike capabilities, state-run media said Friday.