North Korea has successfully refloated a new destroyer that capsized upon launch last month, with state media reporting the damaged vessel will be moved to a dry dock in a different shipyard for repairs.

North Korea says it righted a capsized destroyer and moored it at a pier in the northeastern port of Chongjin as it continues to repair a new warship leader Kim Jong Un has described as a significant asset for his nuclear-armed military.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency ( KCNA) reported that the vessel will be moved to a dry dock at a different shipyard for repairs. The 5,000-ton warship was meant to be a key asset in North Korea's naval modernization efforts, but it capsized on May 21 due to a malfunction in the launch mechanism.