In a statement Wednesday, North Korea announced that the launch of its surveillance satellite has concluded unsuccessfully. The failure occurred when the second stage of the rocket tasked with carrying the satellite experienced problems, resulting in the ship’s falling into the sea.
As reported by the state news agency KCNA, the new launch rocket, called Chollima-1, failed due to difficulties in the engine and fuel system, which led to abnormal behavior during the ignition of the second stage and the subsequent loss of propulsion that triggered the fall into the sea. North Korea’s National Space Development Agency said a thorough investigation will be carried out to identify the serious flaws, urgent scientific and technological measures will be taken to overcome them, and a second launch attempt will be made as soon as possible after several partial tests.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that the North Korean device fell approximately 200 kilometers west of the Eocheong Islands, in the Yellow Sea, due to an “abnormal flight.” In addition, it was reported that further analysis is being conducted in cooperation with the United States.
Earlier, South Korea’s military had announced that Pyongyang had launched a space launch vehicle possibly related to the surveillance satellite, prompting authorities in both countries to issue evacuation alerts.
Last month, during a visit to the facilities of North Korea’s National Space Development Administration, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave instructions to prepare for the launch of the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite, stressing its importance in strengthening military self-defense capabilities and protecting the security and territorial integrity of the state in the face of growing military threat and challenge from the United States and South Korea.
For its part, the United States warned North Korea that it will be “held accountable” if it proceeds with the launch of the space device. A spokesman for the US State Department, Vedant Patel, stressed the need for Pyongyang to refrain from carrying out threatening activities and urged the country to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy.