By North Korea’s second attempt to launch a military spy satellite into orbit ended in failure. The launch occurred early on a Thursday morning, kicking off a week-long launch window. Unfortunately, a problem with the third stage of the rocket carrying the satellite led to the failure, according to North Korean officials.
The first and second stages of the rocket performed normally, but a malfunction in the emergency blasting system during the third stage flight caused the mission to falter, as reported by North Korea’s state-run KCNA.
South Korea’s military detected the launch from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station around 3:50 am local time. They tracked the rocket as it passed through international airspace over the Yellow Sea. Subsequently, residents of Japan’s southernmost prefecture, Okinawa, received emergency warnings advising them to seek shelter indoors. Thankfully, the warning was lifted about 20 minutes later.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the launch, citing its violation of UN resolutions and issued a strong protest. The United States called on North Korea to refrain from further provocative actions and urged them to engage in meaningful diplomacy.
Despite the setback, North Korea has shown progress in this attempt, as the rocket carrying the satellite traveled farther than in a previous failure back in May. North Korean officials had described the May failure as their “gravest,” vowing to make another attempt.
It’s expected that North Korea’s leader, Mr. Kim, will continue these efforts until he succeeds. Meanwhile, North Korea continues to advance its weapons program and remains unresponsive to offers for dialogue with the United States.
This launch occurred shortly after a historic summit in Washington, DC, where leaders from the US, Japan, and South Korea met. It also coincides with the start of annual military exercises between the US and South Korea.
South Korea’s National Security Council also condemned the launch, emphasizing that it violated UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting North Korea from using ballistic missile technology. In response, the United States, South Korea, and Japan are considering unilateral sanctions, as announced by South Korea’s foreign ministry during a phone call between the three countries’ foreign ministers. These actions are being taken due to the fact that space launch vehicles (SLVs) incorporate technologies similar to those used in ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), as stated by a US State Department spokesperson.
