North Korea's spy satellite "crashes into sea", vows 2nd launch "as soon as possible"

A military spy satellite launched by North Korea earlier in the day crashed into the Yellow Sea owing to an engine problem and it plans to carry out its second launch as soon as possible reported Yonhap News AgencyAccording to Korea Central News Agency KCNA North Korea launched Malligyong1 the military reconnaissance satellite mounted on a newtype rocket named Chollima1 at its rocket launching station on the west coast at 627 am local timeThe carrier rocket fell in the Yellow Sea after losing thrust due to the abnormal starting of the secondstage engine after the separation of the first stage during the normal flight said KCNA in an Englishlanguage dispatchThe failure was due to the low reliability and stability of the newtype engine system and unstable character of the fuel used read the KCNA report citing a spokesperson of the staterun space development agencyNorth Korea also said that it would thoroughly investigate the serious defects that emerged in the latest satellite launch and take necessary measures to overcome them pledging to conduct the second launch as soon as possible through various part testsBoth South Korea and Japan issued emergency warnings advising the residents to take cover indoors if they were outsideJapan termed North Koreas projectile a possible ballistic missile reported Kyodo News quoting the Japanese Defence MinistryAccording to the official Korean Central News Agency KCNA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un directed his countrys space agency to finalise preparations for the launch of Pyongyangs first military reconnaissance satellitePyongyang alerted the Japan Coast Guard of three maritime hazard zones where objects may fall beginning Wednesday two to the west of the Korean Peninsula and one to the east of the Philippines All of these areas are not within Japans exclusive economic zone according to Kyodo NewsVice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers Party of Korea Ri Pyong Chol on Monday said The Norths military reconnaissance satellite is indispensable to tracking monitoring discriminating controlling and coping with in advance in real time the dangerous military acts of the US and its vassal forcesRi noted the reckless military acts by the US and South Korea telling KCNA We steadily feel the need to expand reconnaissance and information means and improve various defensive and offensive weapons according to Kyodo NewsJapanese PM Fumio Kishida while emphasising that Japan considers the launching of a rocket carrying a satellite equivalent to a ballistic missile test on the basis of historical precedent warned that following through on the plan would be in violation of the UN Security Council resolutionsSanctions have been imposed on North Korea for its weaponsrelated actions in accordance with United Nations resolutionsPyongyang which launched missiles a record 37 times last year has continued to launch ballistic missiles this year raising suspicions that North Korea is planning its eighth nuclear test in the near future Kyodo News reportedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever