Current:Home > Contact-usNorth Korea conducts rocket launch in likely 2nd attempt to put spy satellite into orbit-LoTradeCoin
North Korea conducts rocket launch in likely 2nd attempt to put spy satellite into orbit
View Date:2024-12-23 19:28:04
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched a long-range rocket in a southern direction on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, in the North’s likely second attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the launch involved what the North called “a space launch vehicle.”
It said South Korea detected the rocket flying above international waters off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast after its liftoff at the North’s northwestern Tongchang-ri area at 3:50 a.m.
The site is where North Korea’s main space launch center is located. The North made its first, failed launch of a spy satellite there in late May.
South Korea’s military said it has bolstered its surveillance posture and maintains a readiness in close coordination with the United States.
On Tuesday, Japan’s coast guard said North Korean authorities notified it about a plan to launch a satellite at some time from Aug. 24 through Aug. 30. Coast guard spokesperson Hiromune Kikuchi said the notice didn’t specify the type of satellite, but that he believed it would be similar to North Korea’s May launch.
On May 31, a North Korean rocket carrying a spy satellite plunged into the sea soon after liftoff, posing a setback to leader Kim Jong Un’s push to establish a space-based surveillance system to better monitor the U.S. and South Korea. North Korea had since vowed to make a second attempt.
After its failed first launch, North Korea made an unusually quick admission of failure after its newly developed Chollima-1 rocket lost thrust between launch stages and crashed into the sea on May 31. The North’s ruling party leadership described the failed launch as a serious setback in the country’s efforts to bolster its military capabilities amid tensions with rivals.
North Korea’s neighbors and the United States condemned the May launch for raising tensions and violating U.N. Security Council resolutions that banned the country from using ballistic missile technology.
Thursday’s launch came three days after the U.S. and South Korean militaries kicked off annual military drills that North Korea calls an invasion rehearsal.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the U.S.-South Korean exercises are increasing the danger of a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula. It said the current situation is compelling North Korea to take “offensive, overwhelming” steps, but didn’t elaborate.
veryGood! (96911)
Related
- 'Joker 2' actor pans DC sequel as the 'worst film' ever: 'It has no plot'
- These Jewelry Storage Solutions Are Game Changers for Your Earrings, Bracelets, & Necklaces
- District attorney’s progressive policies face blowback from Louisiana’s conservative Legislature
- As millions leave organized religion, spiritual and secular communities offer refuge
- Jimmy Kimmel, more late-night hosts 'shocked' by Trump Cabinet picks: 'Goblins and weirdos'
- These 10 old Ford Mustangs are hugely underappreciated
- ‘We all failed you.’ Heartbreak at funeral for Israeli-American hostage in Jerusalem
- Murder on Music Row: Shots in the heart of country music disrupt the Nashville night
- Secret Service Agent Allegedly Took Ex to Barack Obama’s Beach House
- One man dead, others burned after neighborhood campfire explodes
Ranking
- Jelly Roll goes to jail (for the best reason) ahead of Indianapolis concert
- Penn State-West Virginia weather updates: Weather delay called after lightning at season opener
- Adele Announces Lengthy Hiatus From Music After Las Vegas Residency Ends
- Border arrests are expected to rise slightly in August, hinting 5-month drop may have bottomed out
- Kentucky officer reprimanded for firing non-lethal rounds in 2020 protests under investigation again
- Pitt RB Rodney Hammond Jr. declared ineligible for season ahead of opener
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Open Call
- Doctor charged in Matthew Perry's death released on $50,000 bond, expected to plead guilty
Recommendation
-
Mike Tyson impresses crowd during workout ahead of Jake Paul fight
-
San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall released from hospital after shooting
-
Why is ABC not working on DirecTV? Channel dropped before LSU-USC amid Disney dispute
-
Abilene Christian University football team involved in Texas bus crash, leaves 4 injured
-
Republican Gabe Evans ousts Democratic US Rep. Yadira Caraveo in Colorado
-
Remembering the Volkswagen Beetle: When we said bye-bye to the VW Bug for the last time
-
Border arrests are expected to rise slightly in August, hinting 5-month drop may have bottomed out
-
Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnastics champion Kara Welsh killed in shooting