According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the launch took place on the same morning (local time) and the Cheollima-1 rocket carrying the Malligyong-1 satellite fell into the sea due to engine failure.
KCNA reported the news shortly after South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the rocket had disappeared from radar screens after the launch. The South Korean military has recovered some debris believed to be from the failed launch and released images of it.
Debris believed to be from North Korea's failed satellite launch on May 31. Photo: South Korean Ministry of Defense
This is North Korea's sixth satellite launch attempt and the first since 2016. If successful, the flight will put Pyongyang's first military spy satellite into orbit in a move seen as improving its ability to monitor US military activity.
According to Al Jazeera , North Korea's satellite launch violates United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit the country from using ballistic missile technology.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the latest launch and urged North Korea to resume negotiations that have stalled since 2019. South Korean, US and Japanese officials also reacted after talking by phone about the launch.
According to Yonhap news agency, some analysts said it could take months to fix the errors that occurred in the launch on May 31. However, some experts said that regardless of the results of the next launch, it is only a matter of time before North Korea puts a military spy satellite into use.
Leader Kim Jong-un considered the development of this type of satellite a top priority when he personally inspected some preparations for the launch.
North Korea is also accelerating the modernization and expansion of its arsenal, insisting that the move is necessary for self-defense. Some experts say the country is concerned about South Korea's increased trilateral security cooperation with Japan and the United States.
Another concern for Pyongyang may come from South Korea’s successful launch last week of its first commercial satellite, using a Nuri rocket designed and built by Seoul. Not stopping there, according to Yonhap , South Korea plans to launch its first military spy satellite in November, part of a plan to deploy five such satellites by the mid-2020s.
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