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11-08-2023
PYONGYANG: North Korean media reported Wednesday that Pyongyang is all set to launch its first satellite without indicating type, after a failed attempt to put its spy military spacecraft into Earth’s orbit in May.
It remains to be seen what kind of satellite North Korea intends to launch but observers believe that it would likely be a similar military spy satellite.
In late May, South Korean military officials reportedly recovered the wreckage of the North Korean satellite which fell into the sea after the rocket failed, crushing leader Kim Jong Un’s hopes of sending the country’s spy orbiter into space.
There is no North Korean satellite functioning in space and developing a spy one has been a primary goal of the country’s de-facto Leader Kim Jong Un despite UN resolutions prohibiting the use of such technology.
Pyongyang said that in the build-up to the launch attempt that the satellite would be vital to monitoring the military movements of the United States and its allies.
However, the rocket lost thrust and plunged into the sea with its satellite payload, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
The report also added that authorities would investigate the “serious defects” revealed by the launch and conduct another test as soon as possible.
According to the South Korean military, it had managed to locate and salvage a portion of the suspected debris. It also released images showing a large barrel-like metal structure with thin pipes and wires at the bottom, which experts said might be a liquid fuel tank.
Yonhap reported that North Korea may seek another launch in time with the summit among leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan which is to take place on August 18, and Seoul-Washington joint military drills scheduled for 21 to 24 of the same month.
In May, the media reported that North Korea’s attempt to launch its first spy satellite fell flat on Wednesday when its rocket malfunctioned, sending the launch vehicle tumbling into the Yellow Sea. The North said it would try again as soon as possible.
The botched launch triggered false alarms in South Korea and Japan. Cell phones in Seoul blared out warnings to prepare to seek shelter, while alerts in Japan advised residents on the island of Okinawa to take cover. Both were later canceled when it became clear that the projectile posed no threat. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
