North Korea says spy satellite launch crashed into sea

By Gene Mackenzie and Oliver Slough of Soul

North Korea has announced that it crashed into the sea after an accident occurred while planning to launch its first space satellite.

Following the rocket launch, Japan warned Okinawans, but subsequently reported that the territory was not in danger of being attacked.

North Korea had earlier announced plans to launch a satellite by June 11 to monitor U.S. military activity.

We are currently trying to launch a second launch as soon as possible.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said North Korea appeared to have launched a ballistic missile and the government was analyzing the details.

He added that there are no reports of post-launch damage at this time. Japan has previously said it is ready to shoot down anything that threatens its territory.

Local time Wednesday morning, chaos and chaos erupted in the South Korean capital Seoul as people were awakened by the sound of air raid sirens and emergency messages telling them to prepare to evacuate, only to be told 20 minutes later. It was sent by mistake.

The risks are high on the Korean peninsula, where tensions have existed for 70 years between the two countries, and the false alarm could seriously undermine public confidence in the warning system.

North Korea poses a threat to South Korea, and if there is a future warning, the question is whether to take it seriously or ignore it as another mistake.

The South Korean military said the projectile may have shattered in the air or disappeared from radar early and then crashed, according to a Yonhap news report, adding that an analysis was being conducted.

On Tuesday, North Korea’s ruling Central Military Commission vice chairman Ri Pyeong-chul announced the launch plan, which he said was a response to “reckless military actions” by the United States and South Korea.

He accused countries of “openly exposing their reckless aggression ambitions”.

Before the launch on Wednesday, the US State Department said North Korea’s launch using ballistic missile technology would violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

South Korea’s foreign ministry also denounced the launch earlier this week as a “serious violation” of a Security Council resolution “banning all launches using ballistic missile technology”.

“If North Korea finally goes ahead with the launch, it will have to endure the price and pain it deserves,” the report said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has identified the development of military satellites as a key element of his country’s defense.

Leif Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said the North Korean government “likely thinks it’s in the space race” and said whether the current satellite mission succeeds or not. , “The North Korean government is expected to send out political propaganda such as the following.” its cosmic capabilities.”

– Reuters