Spy attack backfires - North Korea's satellite launcher experiences an explosion.
Yesterday evening, North Korea sent a rocket carrying a spy satellite into the sky, but it didn't go as planned. The state-run media reported that the rocket exploded shortly after takeoff, possibly due to an engine malfunction.
Just hours after announcing their intentions to send a satellite into space, North Korea faced criticism from all sides. Their neighbors, South Korea in particular, detected the flight path, which they believed originated from North Korea's major space facility in the northeast.
According to officials in South Korea, a North Korean rocket took off from the west coast of the Korean Peninsula and four minutes later, fragments of the rocket were seen falling into the sea. The Japanese government also issued a warning for the island of Okinawa, as they believed the rocket was not intended for that area.
In response, representatives from Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Australia pledged to pressure North Korea to cancel the launch. These four countries had already imposed sanctions on North Korea in November for their first foray into spy satellites. They accuse Pyongyang of using technology that has a direct link to its ICBM program.
North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, had previously announced his country would launch three more reconnaissance satellites this year. United Nations resolutions forbid North Korea from any launches or even tests of ballistic missiles, including ICBMs. These missiles can be fitted with nuclear warheads, depending on their design.
So, North Korea's space mission didn't end up too well - they had a failed launch and now face international condemnation. It'll be interesting to see how they react to all this.
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Source: symclub.org