North Korea's satellite launch 'fails' as engine explodes in midair
May 27, 2024
Seoul [South Korea], May 27 : The attempt made this week to launch a new satellite-carrying rocket failed due to a midair explosion during the flight of its first-stage rocket, North Korea said on Tuesday, according to Yonhap News Agency.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, the deputy commander of the North's national aerospace agency stated that the rocket carrying the satellite, the Malligyong-1, detonated during the first stage of flight on Monday night after being launched from a launching point on the country's west coast.
According to the official, a preliminary evaluation indicated that the "accident" appeared to be caused by the credibility of a "liquid oxygen plus petroleum" engine, reported Yonhap News Agency.
The South Korean military claimed it spotted the missile being launched southward over the Yellow Sea from the Tongchang-ri region in the country's northwest at around 10:44 p.m. Monday (local time).
The launch of the satellite-carrying rocket by North Korea came right after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a trilateral summit in Seoul and reaffirmed their commitment to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Following the satellite launch, Japan's Prime Minister's office issued a notification on social media platforms that read, "The suspected ballistic missile from North Korea is not expected to reach Japan."
It was further followed by instructions from the PM in response to the Missile Launch by North Korea.
https://x.com/JPN_PMO/status/1795102381765533924
Earlier, Pyongyang had notified Japan of its plan to launch a satellite sometime before June 4. The liftoff came on the first day of the eight-day launch window.
Kim Jong Un's regime has, notably planned to launch three satellites into orbit this year. In November, it successfully put its first military spy satellite into orbit.
