Pyongyang said its attempt to put another spy satellite into orbit ended in failure, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
North Korea said its attempt to place a second spy satellite into orbit failed when the rocket it was on board exploded.
The admission came late Monday after the South Korean military reported the launch of an “unidentified projectile.”
“The launch of the rocket carrying the new satellite failed when it exploded in the air during the first stage flight,” North Korea’s Deputy Director-General of the National Aerospace Technology Administration said in a report carried by state media.
The report stated that preliminary analysis indicates that the cause is a newly developed liquid-fueled rocket engine, but other possible causes are being investigated.
Officials in South Korea and Japan had previously said that the launch appeared to have failed.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that North Korea fired an “unidentified projectile towards the south” over the Yellow Sea, and several minutes later, many fragments were detected in the sea.
In Japan, public broadcaster NHK reported a similar result.
A senior Japanese Defense Ministry official told reporters: “The missile did not fly to the area that was announced, and the situation is not as North Korea had intended.” “We are still analyzing whether it is a satellite or not,” Japanese news agency Kyodo reported.
Japan issued an emergency alert ordering evacuations in the southern prefecture of Okinawa before lifting the warning and saying that the missile was not expected to fly over Japanese territory.
North Korea issued a notice of the launch plan earlier in the day, saying the launch period would last until June 4.
Nuclear-armed North Korea successfully launched its first spy satellite last November, sparking international condemnation.
The United States described the launch as a “flagrant violation” of UN sanctions, two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny space base in eastern Russia, and promised to provide technical assistance to the isolated country.
Kim said at the end of last year that Pyongyang would launch three more military spy satellites in 2024 while continuing a military modernization program that saw a record number of weapons tests in 2023.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yul said another satellite launch – North Korea’s fourth attempt – would “undermine regional and global peace and stability” while the South Korean military conducted an attack formation flight and strike training to demonstrate “the capabilities and strong will of our military.” “.
Experts said spy satellites could improve Pyongyang’s intelligence-gathering capabilities, especially over South Korea, and provide important data in any military conflict.
Seoul and the United States accuse North Korea of sending weapons to Moscow for use in its war in Ukraine in exchange for technical assistance.
South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday, citing a government official, that a group of Russian engineers had entered North Korea to assist in preparations for the launch.