A ceremony to welcome a new addition to North Korea’s naval fleet has ended in embarrassment following a major accident during the ship’s launch that the country’s dictator, Kim Jong-un, described as a “criminal act”.

Axar.az reports, the Guardian, Kim was present when the 5,000-tonne destroyer appeared to go off balance during its launch in the eastern port city of Chongjin on Wednesday. The tipping caused damage to sections of the hull, the state-run KCNA news agency said on Thursday.

“Kim Jong-un made [a] stern assessment, saying that it was a serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility … and could not be tolerated,” KCNA reported.

Kim ordered the ship restored before a key meeting of the ruling Workers’ party next month, KCNA added. The accident had “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse”.

Blaming “inexperienced command and operational carelessness” during the launch, the news agency said the incident left “some sections of the warship’s bottom crushed”. Officials found responsible for the debacle would be “dealt with at the plenary meeting of the party central committee” in June, Kim said.

South Korea’s military said the vessel was lying on its side in the water.