North Korea’s second attempt to deploy a spy satellite into orbit faced failure on Thursday when the rocket booster encountered issues with its third stage, according to state media. However, North Korean space authorities have expressed their determination to make another attempt in October.
This unsuccessful launch follows a similar setback in May when the new Chollima-1 rocket crashed into the sea during its maiden voyage.
The launch occurred during the pre-dawn hours within an eight-day window previously announced by North Korea for the attempt.
The nuclear-armed nation has been actively pursuing its goal of placing its first military spy satellite into orbit, citing intentions to create a fleet of satellites for monitoring the activities of U.S. and South Korean troops.
North Korea’s state news agency, KCNA, reported, “The flights of the first and second stages of the rocket were normal, but the launch failed due to an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight.”
South Korea’s military confirmed that it tracked the launch from the North’s Sohae Satellite Launching Ground and concluded that it was indeed a failure. Efforts are underway to locate and potentially salvage any debris.
The launch prompted an emergency alert in Japan shortly before 4 a.m. local time (1900 GMT), delivered through the J-alert broadcasting system, urging residents of Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture, to seek shelter. Approximately 20 minutes later, the Japanese government announced that the missile had passed, lifting the emergency warning.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, in a televised news conference, expressed concern that the repeated missile launches posed a threat to regional security. Parts of the rocket were reported to have fallen into the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.
South Korea’s National Security Council condemned the launch, deeming it a provocation and a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit North Korea from employing ballistic missile technology.
The White House also criticized the launch for contravening multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, while the U.S. State Department urged North Korea to refrain from “further threatening activity” and encouraged Pyongyang to engage in meaningful diplomacy.
