"Off with his head!": Humiliated Kim launches probe into North Korean warship launch accident

The isolated state's leader Kim Jong Un, who watched Wednesday's launch of the 5,000-ton destroyer at the northeastern shipyard of Chongjin, berated it as a "criminal act" that could not be tolerated, according to state media.

The mishap likely occurred in front of a large crowd, increasing the public humiliation for Kim, military analysts said.

South Korea's military said on Thursday that the ship was lying on its side in the water.