Seoul, South Korea - South Korea - State media said North Korean authorities have detained four officials for the recently failed naval destroyer.

North Korea rarely openly punishes officials for weapons testing or military performance. Four officials were arrested over the weekend, showing how serious Kim is about his military construction plan and consolidating discipline at home.

The 5,000-ton destroyer was damaged on Wednesday when a transport cradle at the northeast port of Chongqing was disengaged from the stern at a transport cradle above Kim's stern at a launch ceremony at the northeast port of Chongqing. Satellite images at the scene showed the ship lying on its side, wearing a blue cover, and part of the ship was submerged.

The incident angered King as a battleship – the country’s second known destroyer – was the key to his naval modernization plan. King quickly attributes military officials, scientists and shipyard operators to what he calls “crimes caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.”

South Korea's official central news agency said on Monday that law enforcement detained Ri Hong Son, deputy director of the ammunition industry department of the Central Committee of the Ruling Workers' Party, who said it was "a great responsibility" for the failed launch.

KCNA reported on Sunday that authorities detained three officials in the incident, which was the incident - chief engineer, director of Hull Construction Workshop and deputy manager of administrative affairs.

KCNA previously reported that shipyard manager Hong Ho was also called out for inquiries.

In a directive to investigators on Thursday, North Korea’s powerful central media committee said those responsible “can never escape their responsibility for crime.” But it is not clear what punishment the arrested officials will be subject to.

Before his reign, Kim Jong Il was notorious for the executions and purges of senior engineering officials, including the killing of his powerful uncle. But observers say the actions are largely intended to consolidate his control of power and to eliminate potential threats to domination. In recent years, there have been few reports of North Korean executions or purges as Kim established absolute power similar to his late father and grandfather.

Kim reportedly provided preferential treatments to scientists and engineers involved in the weapons development industry as he worked to expand his nuclear and missile arsenal. Kim has allocated new apartments to Pyongyang and sent a support message to scientists amid setbacks after the failure of military spy satellites last year, saying “failure is always a prerequisite for success.”

Experts say Kim Jong Il is eager to make significant progress in the five-year arms development plan formulated during a ruling party congress in early 2021. North Korea needs larger naval forces as well as nuclear-capable missiles and other sophisticated weapons to deal with what he calls the escalation of the security threat to U.S. leadership, Kim said.

Last month, North Korea launched its first destroyer, also a 5,000-ship, and made a big hype. The ship is North Korea's largest and most advanced warship, and state media reported that it is designed to carry a variety of weapons, including nuclear missiles. Kim called its architecture "breakthrough" when modernizing North Korea's naval forces.

North Korea denied that the second destroyer had suffered major damage, saying that the hull on the side of the starboard side was scratched and some seawater flowed into the stern part.

North Korea said on Friday it would take about 10 days to do repairs, but many outside observers said the country may have underestimated the losses.

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Associated Press writer Kim Tong-Hyung contributed to the report.