Seoul/Tokyo: Answer Korea attempted to launch a space satellite over the ocean on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, as the nuclear-armed North seeks to gain ground in a regional space race.
The launch prompted emergency alerts and brief evacuation warnings in South Korea and parts of Japan, which were later withdrawn without any reported danger or damage.
South Korea’s military said it was still analyzing whether the launch was successful, while media in South Korea and Japan said their governments were investigating the possibility that it was a failure. North Korean state media did not immediately report on the launch.
North Korea said it would launch its first military reconnaissance satellite between May 31 and June 11 to boost monitoring of US military activities.
It joins the rapidly heating up space race in the region. South Korea put satellites into orbit with a domestically designed and built rocket for the first time last week, and China sent three astronauts to its now fully operational space station on Tuesday as part of crew rotation.
“Whether North Korea’s current satellite mission is successful or not, Pyongyang can be expected to release political propaganda about its space capabilities as well as diplomatic rhetoric aimed at driving a wedge between Seoul and Tokyo.” Professor at Iwa University in Seoul.
issued a warning
In data provided to international officials, North Korea said the launch would send the rocket southward, with various stages and other debris expected to fall into the Yellow Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Air raid sirens sounded in South Korea’s capital Seoul at around 6:32 a.m. (2132 GMT Tuesday) as the city issued a warning for citizens to prepare for a possible evacuation. The warnings later said the city’s warning had been sent in error.
The Japanese government issued an emergency alert on its J-Alert broadcast system for residents of the southern prefecture of Okinawa early Wednesday morning. The government warned residents to cover up indoors if they are outside.
It later said the missile would not fly over Japan’s territory and lifted the warnings.
missile technology
On Tuesday, Ri Pyong Chol, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, said Pyongyang needed “means capable of gathering information about military acts” for ongoing joint military exercises by the US and South Korea. is required. enemy in real time.”
before wednesdaylaunchAmerica state Department said any North Korean launch using ballistic missile technology would violate the launch multiple UN Security Council Resolution.
“The Space Launch Vehicles (SLVs) incorporate technologies that are similar to and interchangeable with technologies used in ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles,” a State Department spokesperson said.
North Korea has previously attempted five satellite launches, putting two satellites into orbit, including during its last launch in 2016. Analysts say its ability to build functioning satellites is unproven.
“To the best of our knowledge, North Korea has very limited capability to build satellites,” said Brian Weeden Did Secure World Foundation, a US-based organization in the field of space policy and security. “They’ve launched a few satellites before, but they all failed at or shortly after launch and none of them appear to have significant potential.”
The launch prompted emergency alerts and brief evacuation warnings in South Korea and parts of Japan, which were later withdrawn without any reported danger or damage.
South Korea’s military said it was still analyzing whether the launch was successful, while media in South Korea and Japan said their governments were investigating the possibility that it was a failure. North Korean state media did not immediately report on the launch.
North Korea said it would launch its first military reconnaissance satellite between May 31 and June 11 to boost monitoring of US military activities.
It joins the rapidly heating up space race in the region. South Korea put satellites into orbit with a domestically designed and built rocket for the first time last week, and China sent three astronauts to its now fully operational space station on Tuesday as part of crew rotation.
“Whether North Korea’s current satellite mission is successful or not, Pyongyang can be expected to release political propaganda about its space capabilities as well as diplomatic rhetoric aimed at driving a wedge between Seoul and Tokyo.” Professor at Iwa University in Seoul.
issued a warning
In data provided to international officials, North Korea said the launch would send the rocket southward, with various stages and other debris expected to fall into the Yellow Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Air raid sirens sounded in South Korea’s capital Seoul at around 6:32 a.m. (2132 GMT Tuesday) as the city issued a warning for citizens to prepare for a possible evacuation. The warnings later said the city’s warning had been sent in error.
The Japanese government issued an emergency alert on its J-Alert broadcast system for residents of the southern prefecture of Okinawa early Wednesday morning. The government warned residents to cover up indoors if they are outside.
It later said the missile would not fly over Japan’s territory and lifted the warnings.
missile technology
On Tuesday, Ri Pyong Chol, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, said Pyongyang needed “means capable of gathering information about military acts” for ongoing joint military exercises by the US and South Korea. is required. enemy in real time.”
before wednesdaylaunchAmerica state Department said any North Korean launch using ballistic missile technology would violate the launch multiple UN Security Council Resolution.
“The Space Launch Vehicles (SLVs) incorporate technologies that are similar to and interchangeable with technologies used in ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles,” a State Department spokesperson said.
North Korea has previously attempted five satellite launches, putting two satellites into orbit, including during its last launch in 2016. Analysts say its ability to build functioning satellites is unproven.
“To the best of our knowledge, North Korea has very limited capability to build satellites,” said Brian Weeden Did Secure World Foundation, a US-based organization in the field of space policy and security. “They’ve launched a few satellites before, but they all failed at or shortly after launch and none of them appear to have significant potential.”