South Korea’s military said North Korea tried to put a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit on Monday, but the rocket carrying the satellite exploded in mid-air shortly after takeoff, marking a failed attempt. The country’s third failure in putting a spy satellite into orbit.
Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, has made deploying a fleet of spy satellites one of his latest military ambitions. He has also focused on testing what he claims are nuclear missile capable targeting the United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region.
North Korea says it needs satellites to enhance its ability to monitor and target enemies and make its nuclear deterrent more credible.
After two failures, North Korea placed its first spy satellite into orbit last November. Grandfather. Mr. Kim said he will launch three more satellites this year. On Monday, North Korea said it would launch the first of three missiles before June 4.
Hours later, South Korea’s military said it detected a rocket launched from the Tongchang-ri space station in northwestern North Korea. The missile flew over the sea between the Korean Peninsula and China, following the same southern trajectory that North Korea has used in previous satellite launches.
South Korea’s military said the rocket was believed to be carrying a satellite. However, they said the launch was considered a failure after detecting debris falling in Korean waters two minutes after launch. The South Korean military added that the missile is believed to have exploded in mid-air.
North Korea also confirmed that its launch had failed, with the country’s Korean Central News Agency reporting that a newly developed booster carrying a military reconnaissance satellite had exploded in mid-air.
The United States, South Korea and Japan have been monitoring North Korea’s missile launch preparations for weeks. South Korea’s military said in a statement that by Monday it had sent Navy ships to waters around the Korean Peninsula to track missiles and collect data.
North Korea is banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions from launching long-range missiles because it uses the same technology needed to build intercontinental ballistic missiles.
During such launches, South Korea and Japan often put their military on alert and instruct people on islands near the missile’s orbit to hide inside buildings or underground for fear of debris. crumbs fall.
According to South Korean officials, North Korea’s satellites were once so primitive that they could hardly be considered reconnaissance tools.
But more recently, North Korea has received satellite technology as well as oil and food from Russia in exchange artillery shells and ballistic missiles to support Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, according to American and South Korean officials.
South Korean officials say Russia has also helped North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs in another way: Earlier this year, Moscow used his veto power at the United Nations Security Council to disband a group of United Nations experts collecting evidence on countries violating sanctions imposed on North Korea.
In recent weeks, Mr. Kim has toured weapons factories, encouraging workers there to ramp up production. North Korean state media also showed images of Mr. Kim visiting large warehouses filled with missile launch vehicles. South Korean analysts said the images were intended to entice President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to visit North Korea by showing Putin the weapons he desperately needs.
Common interests brought Mr. Kim and Mr. Putin together meet in the Russian Far East last September. Mr. Putin then promised to visit North Korea.
North Korea has complained bitterly in recent weeks about joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea and their “hostile aerial espionage.” North Korean Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang Il said in a statement on Saturday that such activities “have become the root cause of the increasing escalation of regional military tensions.”
