North Korea has edited state media images to remove a senior naval commander and a shipyard manager, following a failed warship launch, according to NK News.
Footage aired on Friday showed the relaunch of the 5,000-ton Kang Kon destroyer. However, Kim Myong-sik, the former chief naval commander, was missing from earlier images of Kim Jong-un inspecting the ship during construction.
Hong Kil-ho, who manages the Chongjin Shipyard where the incident took place, was also absent from the visuals.
NK News noted that North Korean media rarely deletes officials from photos. The last known case happened in 2013 after the execution of Kim’s uncle, Jang Song-thaek.
Kim Jong-un attended the relaunch ceremony on Thursday. The event followed a failed launch on 21 May, when the vessel ended up partly submerged and tilted, according to satellite images.
After the accident, state media reported that authorities had summoned Hong Kil-ho for investigation. New photos suggest that Pak Kwang-sop has taken over as the navy’s top commander.
