A rocket carrying North Korea’s second spy satellite exploded shortly after liftoff on Monday, state media reported.
Monday’s unsuccessful launch came hours after the leaders of South Korea, China and Japan met in Seoul for their first trilateral meeting in more than four years.
Moreover, the launch drew rebukes from neighbouring countries as the UN bans North Korea from taking any such action. The organisation sees them as a cover for testing long-range missile technology.
The North Korean Central News Agency reported the country had launched a spy satellite aboard a new rocket at its main northwest space centre. However, it exploded during first-stage flight shortly after liftoff due to a suspected engine malfunction.
The Japanese government issued a missile warning but lifted it later as the region was no longer at risk, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated. At the same time, Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara called the launch “a serious challenge to the entire world.”
The US Indo-Pacific Command also criticised the move as a “brazen violation” of UN Security Council resolutions. At the same time, South Korea’s unification ministry called the satellite launch “a provocation that seriously threatens our and regional security.”
However, North Korea has been adamant that it has the right to launch satellites and test missiles in the face of US military threats. Earlier on Monday, North Korea notified Japan’s coast guard of the planned launch. Authorities warned to exercise caution in waters between the Korean Peninsula and China. The warning also extended east of the main Philippine island of Luzon during the launch from Monday to June 3.
The failed satellite launch was a blow to Kim Jong Un’s plan to launch three more military spy satellites in 2024. The first military reconnaissance satellite was put into orbit in November last year.
