Dhat went wrong: North Korea’s attempt to transport a spy satellite into orbit with a carrier rocket failed, according to information from Pyongyang on Wednesday. “The new satellite launch vehicle ‘Cheollima-1’ has sunk in the West Sea,” reported the North Korean state news agency KCNA, using the Korean name for the Yellow Sea. The projectile “lost momentum due to an abnormal start of the two-stage motor.”
Shortly before, the South Korean general staff had suggested that the launch of the satellite might not have gone according to plan. This is indicated by the “abnormal flight” of the alleged carrier rocket, the launch of which the South Korean general staff announced on Wednesday morning (local time). The missile landed in the sea west of the Korean Peninsula. South Korean and US authorities continue to analyze the process, it said.
The South Korean capital Seoul and the southern Japanese region of Okinawa initially raised the alarm after the rocket was launched. In Seoul, where sirens were wailing, a warning was sent to all cellphones, urging residents to prepare for a possible evacuation and “get children and the elderly to safety first.” A little later, the Ministry of the Interior announced that the warning issued by the city administration had been “published incorrectly”.
North Korea had informed Japan about a satellite launch
Japan activated its missile alert system for the southern Okinawa region after the warning from South Korea. “Rocket launch. rocket launch. North Korea appears to have launched a missile. Please seek shelter indoors or underground,” said the warning, which was broadcast by NHK broadcaster and tweeted by the prime minister’s office.
North Korea had previously announced that it would launch its first military spy satellite. Military Representative Ri Pyong Chol said space-based reconnaissance was “essential” to monitor “the dangerous military actions of the US and its vassals” in real time – a reference to US military exercises with South Korea. Seoul had Pyongyang warned against such a move.
On Monday, the Japanese coast guard said North Korea had informed Japan about an upcoming satellite launch between May 31 and June 11, but without being specific.
After an unprecedented series of missile tests last year, North Korea has again tested multiple missiles and cruise missiles this year. UN sanctions ban the country from testing ballistic missile technology. The military tensions on the Korean peninsula have recently escalated drastically. The communist leadership in Pyongyang has repeatedly threatened a military escalation in the region. In the face of North Korea’s ongoing provocations, South Korea and the United States have strengthened their defense cooperation.
The US government has “strongly condemned” North Korea’s launch of a multi-stage missile. “This alleged space launch employed technologies directly related to North Korea’s ICBM program,” the National Security Council said. De-escalation by diplomatic means is still possible, but Pyongyang must stop its provocative actions immediately.
The rocket launch increases tensions in the region and could destabilize the security situation, it said. “The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland” and the defense of allies South Korea and Japan.
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