North Korea’s second attempt at launching a spy satellite into orbit failed on Thursday, CBS News reported.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea launched a long-range ballistic rocket, described by Pyongyang as a “space launch vehicle,” from Tongchang-ri in northwestern North Korea at 3:50 a.m.
Tongchang-ri is the site of North Korea’s main space launch center where Pyongyang made its first failed attempt to launch a spy satellite in late May.
The South Korean military detected the rocket over international waters off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula.
In Japan, the prime minister’s office responded to the rocket launch by issuing an evacuation order for Okinawa. The order was later lifted and residents were asked to inspect their property for possible damage from falling objects.
In late May, North Korea’s first attempt to launch a spy satellite failed after the rocket crashed into the sea not long after liftoff. The ruling party leadership admitted that the failed launch was a serious setback in North Korea’s efforts to boost its military capabilities in the face of tensions in the region.
Since then, Pyongyang has vowed to make a second attempt.
On Tuesday, the Japanese Coast Guard said it was notified by Pyongyang of the plan to launch a satellite between August 24 and August 30. However, North Korea did not specify the type of satellite.
In a statement on Thursday, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson condemned North Korea’s use of ballistic missile technology for the attempted launch, describing Pyongyang’s action as a “brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
Watson said the White House, in coordination with US partners and allies in the region, is “assessing the situation.”
North Korea’s state-run media announced on Thursday that the North would make its third attempt to launch a spy satellite in October.
