North Korea said its recent attempt to launch a new rocket, reportedly carrying its second military spy satellite, failed after an engine exploded mid-flight and fell into nearby water.
North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said it launched the satellite on a new rocket from its space center in the northwest. The agency said the plane exploded shortly after takeoff and that the problem was suspected to be an engine problem, the Associated Press reported.
On Monday, North Korea notified Japan’s coast guard of its plan, warning the country to exercise caution in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and China, and east of the Philippine island of Luzon.
Japan’s public TV station NHK reported an image captured by a camera in northeast China showing an orange light in the sky and an apparent explosion. South Korea also followed the trajectory of the launch and, within four minutes, the country spotted fragments in the water, according to AP.
The launch came hours after leaders from South Korea, China and Japan gathered in Seoul for their first meeting in more than four years.
North Korea successfully launched the reconnaissance satellite, called Malligyong-1, atop a Chollima-1 rocket at the country’s main launch center on Tuesday night, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
The communist nation launched its first spy satellite in November as part of its efforts to increase space surveillance against the United States. Both attempts failed.
The news comes months after the United Nations Security Council banned North Korea from launching satellites because it sees them as a disguised test of missile technology.
The US condemned the first launch, citing a violation of the UN resolution prohibiting the country from using ballistic missile technology.
“The president and his national security team are assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners,” the Biden administration said in a statement at the time. “We call on all countries to condemn this launch and call for [North Korea] come to the table for serious negotiations.”
North Korea has previously warned that any interference with its spy satellite mission would be a “declaration of war”.
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