North Korea launches rocket with first spy satellite

Seoul, The Gulf Observer: North Korea on Tuesday launched a rocket with its first spy satellite, The New York Times reported. South Korea said this was an attempt by North Korea to put its first military reconnaissance satellite in orbit, this time with technological help from Russia.

The rocket flew to the south over the sea between the Korean Peninsula and China, the South Korean military said in a brief statement. The United States, South Korea and Japan have all placed their militaries on alert to guard against such a launch, concerned that debris from the North’s rocket might fall on the Asian allies’ territories. They also want to collect intelligence on the rocket to determine the implications its satellite programme may have on regional stability.

North Korea launched its new Chollima-1 rocket from its satellite launching station in Tongchang-ri near its northwestern border with China in May and again in August.

As per The New York Times, the rocket flew on the same southbound trajectory , seeking to place satellite s in orbit so that North Korea could better monitor American and South Korean military movements in the region and improve its nuclear-attack capabilities.

But both times, the rockets malfunctioned and failed to thrust the Malligyong-1, the North’s first homemade military spy satellite, into orbit

Moscow’s help with Pyongyang’s troubled satellite programme was part of a package of incentives North Korea had been expected to receive from Russia in return for the North’s providing artillery shells and other badly needed munitions to help Russia’s war in Ukraine , the South Korean officials said.

As per The New York Times, the North’s launch on Tuesday defied multiple warnings from the United States, South Korea and Japan against such launches.