'Supported by Russia' but... North Korea Seems to Have Failed in Reconnaissance Satellite Launch

Military Flight Path Detected and 'Shattered into Fragments' Within 2 Minutes
Japanese Government "Seems There Was Some Trouble Like an Explosion"
North Korea's Attempt to Launch 3 Additional Missiles Within the Year Presumed Failed

North Korea is presumed to have failed in its additional launch of a military reconnaissance satellite, an effort that involved full-scale commitment and even technical support from Russia.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 27th at 10:44 PM that they detected one trajectory presumed to be a "North Korean claimed military reconnaissance satellite" launched by North Korea from the Dongchang-ri area in North Pyongan Province toward the south of the West Sea. A Joint Chiefs official explained, "The launch vehicle was detected as multiple fragments over North Korean waters around 10:46 PM, and South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis to determine whether the flight was normal."

North Korea launching the reconnaissance satellite Malligyeong-1 aboard the Cheollima-1 carrier rocket from the West Sea Satellite Launching Station in Dongchang-ri, Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province in November last year. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier that day, North Korea notified Japan, the coordinating country under the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Worldwide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS), of plans to launch a rocket carrying a satellite between that day and July 4, and announced the establishment of three maritime danger zones accordingly. Since this came just before the South Korea-Japan-China summit, there was also an interpretation that North Korea was attempting to create division to disrupt the momentum of regional cooperation among the three countries.

As a result, given that the military authorities detected the launch vehicle’s trajectory and then identified it as "fragments" within two minutes, this additional reconnaissance satellite launch is presumed to have failed.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense also announced that an object possibly a ballistic missile was launched from North Korea. The Japanese government issued and then lifted an evacuation alert for residents in Okinawa Prefecture through the nationwide alert system (J-ALERT) at around 10:46 PM. A Japanese government official explained, "It appears that some trouble such as an explosion occurred."

Previously, North Korea succeeded in launching a military reconnaissance satellite for the first time in November last year. Attempts were made in May and August last year for the first and second launches, but both failed due to rocket propulsion issues. On the third attempt, the reconnaissance satellite "Manlilkyung-1" was placed into orbit, but it is assessed not to be functioning properly. North Korea declared plans to launch three additional reconnaissance satellites within this year, and our government has identified that North Korea conducted multiple engine combustion tests with support from Russian technicians. However, this attempt after six months appears to have ended in failure.