Seoul, The South Korean army has announced that it had detected what appeared to be a space rocket carrying a military spy satellite launched by North Korea on Monday. It was discovered as multiple pieces of debris shortly after its launch.
Yonhap News Agency quoted the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying that the South Korean army detected a missile suspect of carrying a military spy satellite that was launched southward over the Yellow Sea from Dongchang-ri on the northwest coast at approximately 10:44 p.m. local time on Monday.
It explained that the missile was discovered as multiple pieces of debris in the waters of the northern side about two minutes after launch.
The intelligence authorities in South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis of whether the missile made a normal flight or not, it added.
Earlier Monday, North Korea notified Japan of a plan to launch a space rocket carrying a satellite between Monday and midnight on June 3.
The launch came after South Kor
ean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a tripartite summit in Seoul on Monday, where the three leaders reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea placed its first spy satellite, “Malligyong-1,” into orbit in November, after two failed attempts in May and August last year, and pledged to launch three more satellites this year.
Source: Qatar News Agency
