North Korea’s attempt to launch its second spy satellite failed when the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff due to a suspected engine problem, a setback for leader Kim Jong Un’s surveillance ambitions, Associated Press reports.
This launch coincided with a trilateral meeting in Seoul between leaders of South Korea, China and Japan. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for international action against North Korea, while China’s Premier Li Qiang avoided direct comments on the launch.
This failed launch undermines Kim’s goal of deploying additional military spy satellites to monitor the US and South Korea in 2024. The November 2023 launch of North Korea’s first military reconnaissance satellite had followed two previous failed attempts. South Korea’s military detected the failed launch and subsequent debris in the sea.
