North Korea announced on Wednesday that its latest attempt to launch the Malligyong-1, a military spy satellite, has failed.
Launch Failure
State mouthpiece Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that its new satellite, which was launched by the country’s National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA), had been mounted on a new-type carrier rocket — Chollima-1 — at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Cholsan County of the North Phyongan Province on Wednesday morning.
“The carrier rocket “Chollima-1” fell to the West Sea of Korea after losing thrust due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine after the separation of the first stage during the normal flight,” it stated.
The failure was also attributed to “the low reliability and stability of the new-type engine system applied to carrier rocket” and the “unstable character of the fuel used.”
Japan and South Korea activated emergency sirens after North Korea launched a satellite https://t.co/WDlMGKapU3 pic.twitter.com/9ISboReT08
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 31, 2023
NADA stressed that it would “thoroughly investigate the serious defects revealed in the satellite launch, take urgent scientific and technological measures to overcome them, and conduct the second launch as soon as possible through various part tests.”
South Korea on Alert
Following the launch, Seoul issued rare air raid sirens and mobile phone alerts, asking residents to evacuate.
At 6:32 a.m. on Wednesday, the South Korean capital issued a “Presidential Alert” asking citizens to prepare for a potential evacuation.
“I was so panicked. Nine-one-one lines were busy and the internet was slow. So, without knowing what was really happening, I was about to head down to a basement wearing a wrap carrier with my baby,” Lee Juyeon, 33-year-old mother told Reuters.
The city issued a second mobile alert minutes later calling for an evacuation, which remained in place for at least 10 minutes until the city claimed it had been sent in error.