North Korea’s Warship Takes a Second Try After Tipping Over

Beginner | June 28, 2025

✨ 혼자서 기사를 소리 내어 읽거나 튜터를 따라 각 단락을 반복해서 읽으세요. 레벨...

A Ship’s Embarrassing Moment

The Launch Goes Wrong

A new large ship from North Korea had a big problem last month. It was a warship, like a big boat for the military. When they tried to put it in the water for the first time, called a “launch,” something went wrong. The ship tipped over and partly sank!

A Leader Watches

This happened on May 21st at a place called Chongjin Shipyard. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, was even there to watch. He was very unhappy and called the accident a “criminal act” because of carelessness.

Fixing Things Up

Damaged and Moved

After the accident, the ship was damaged. News reports said the bottom of the ship was hurt. North Korea quickly worked to fix it. They stood the ship up again and moved it to a different shipyard, the Rajin Shipyard.

Big Repair Job

Fixing a big ship like this takes a lot of work, especially after it tipped over and got wet inside. Experts from other countries were not sure North Korea could fix it fast. But North Korea said they would fix it quickly, before a big meeting in June.

A New Launch Day

Second Try Goes Well

Guess what? North Korea said they relaunched the ship on June 12th! This time, it seems the launch went well. Kim Jong Un was there again. North Korea wants to show they can build strong navy ships.

Back on Track

North Korea called the first problem an “unexpected and absurd accident,” but they said it did not stop their plan to make their navy stronger. The name of the ship is Kang Kon and is important for their goal to have a modern navy.

Vocabulary

Warship (noun): A ship built for fighting in wars.
- Example: The navy has many warships.
Launch (verb): To put a new ship into the water for the first time.
- Example: They will launch the new boat next week.
Tipped over (phrasal verb): Fell onto its side.
- Example: The tall box tipped over in the wind.
Capsized (verb): Overturned in the water. Similar to tipped over for a boat.
- Example: The small boat capsized in the storm.
Shipyard (noun): A place where ships are built and repaired.
- Example: The shipyard is very busy building new ships.
Accident (noun): Something bad that happens unexpectedly and causes damage or injury.
- Example: There was a small accident on the road.
Damaged (adjective): Harmed or broken.
- Example: The phone fell off the wall and was damaged.
Repairs (noun, plural): Work done to fix something that is broken or damaged.
- Example: The car needs some repairs.
Relaunch (verb): To launch something, like a ship, again after a problem or repair.
- Example: They will relaunch the website tomorrow.
Navy (noun): The part of a country’s military that fights at sea.
- Example: The navy protects the country’s coasts.

Discussion Questions (About the Article)

What big problem did the North Korean warship have?
Where did the accident happen, and who was there?
What did North Korea do to fix the damaged ship?
When did North Korea say they relaunched the ship?
Why is this ship important to North Korea?

Discussion Questions (About the Topic)

Why do countries build warships?
What are some dangers for people who work in shipyards?
How do you think the workers felt after the first launch accident?
Why might North Korea want to show they can build strong ships?
Is it important for countries to have a strong navy? Why or why not?

Related Idiom

“Back on its feet”

Meaning: Recovered from a difficult situation and able to function normally again.
Example: After the repairs, the ship is back on its feet.

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This article was inspired by: New York Post, June 16, 2025