[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] North Korean Projectile Seems to Have Penetrated KADIZ

National Assembly Defense Committee Report: "The Location Where Debris Was Found Is the KADIZ Boundary"

It has been confirmed that a North Korean space launch vehicle flew through South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) and then crashed into the West Sea. The Air Defense Identification Zone is an arbitrary boundary set to identify and respond early to military aircraft approaching national airspace.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 1st, the Ministry of National Defense reported to the National Assembly's Defense Committee on the previous day's North Korean space launch vehicle, including the launch progress, military authorities' assessment, and measures taken. According to the map included in the Ministry of National Defense's current affairs report, the debris was found outside but adjacent to the KADIZ boundary line, indicating that North Korea's space launch vehicle flew through the airspace over KADIZ.

The launch vehicle, fired by North Korea around 6:29 a.m. the previous day from the Dongchang-ri area in Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, headed south and passed over the distant sea west of Baengnyeongdo in the West Sea. After abnormal flight, it fell into the sea about 200 km west of Eocheongdo. The launch was immediately detected by combined South Korea-U.S. assets, and the Ministry of National Defense stated that the launch vehicle is presumed to have carried a reconnaissance satellite.

The Ministry of National Defense analyzed that the reason North Korea pushed ahead with the launch on the first day of the announced launch period (from midnight May 31 to midnight June 11) was "to publicize the achievement of strategic weapons development tasks and the acquisition of surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as major defense sector accomplishments ahead of the 8th Party Congress in early June."

Regarding the official acknowledgment of failure about two hours and 30 minutes after the launch, the Ministry estimated that "considering that the failure would be revealed as a fact through intelligence analysis by South Korea-U.S. intelligence authorities, North Korea admitted the launch failure early." Previously, North Korea reported the failure of the Kwangmyongsong-3 launch about five hours after the failure in April 2012.

Meanwhile, the military discovered floating debris believed to be part of the launch vehicle about 200 km northwest of Eocheongdo in the West Sea and is currently conducting salvage operations. If the remaining debris is recovered, it is expected to provide an estimate of North Korea's satellite technology level. The military estimates that the salvaged debris is a cylindrical connecting section between the first and second stage rockets of the North Korean launch vehicle.

The Navy has deployed several vessels, including the 3,500-ton class surface rescue ships Tongyeong (ATS-II) and Gwangyang (ATS-II), to the West Sea site for the second day to salvage floating debris presumed to be part of the North Korean space launch vehicle that fell the previous morning.

North Korea launched one launch vehicle southward from the Dongchang-ri area in North Pyongan Province around 6:29 a.m. the previous day, but after abnormal flight, it fell into the sea about 200 km west of Eocheongdo. The Tongyeong and Gwangyang ships involved in the operation are equipped with search and rescue equipment such as cranes, hull-mounted sonar (HMS), and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV), performing missions to tow and salvage stranded or sunken vessels.