North Korea’s Recent Missile Launch
On Monday, North Korea launched an “unidentified projectile” according to South Korea’s army. This move came shortly after Pyongyang informed Japan of its plan to fire another “spy satellite”.
“North Korea has fired an unidentified projectile southwards over the Yellow Sea,” stated South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, following a trilateral summit involving Seoul, Beijing, and Tokyo.
Japan issued an evacuation order to southern Okinawa prefecture in response to the missile launch, urging residents to seek shelter inside buildings or underground.
Satellite Launch Failure
Hours later, North Korea announced that its attempt to place a spy satellite into orbit had failed. The satellite exploded mid-air due to a suspected engine problem during the first-stage flight.
The launch of the Malligyong-1-1 reconnaissance satellite was unsuccessful, with the country’s National Aerospace Technology Administration attributing the failure to the reliability of the newly developed liquid oxygen and kerosene engine.
Seoul’s Findings
South Korea’s military reported finding fragments in the ocean after the spy satellite launch, indicating a potential failure. Both South Korean and US intelligence agencies are investigating the incident to determine the outcome of the launch.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that fragments of the projectile were detected in North Korean waters, prompting further analysis to ascertain the nature of the launch.
Japanese officials are still assessing the situation, with reports suggesting that the missile did not reach its intended area as planned by North Korea.
