South Korean military 'withdrawing part of downed North Korean space projectile'

On the morning of May 31st, a space projectile launched southward from the area around Dongchang-ri in North Pyongan Province effectively crashed into the sea about 200 kilometers west of Ocheong Island. The South Korean military is salvaging an object believed to be part of a North Korean space projectile.

The South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff said today, "At around 8:05 a.m., the South Korean military identified an object presumed to be part of a 'space projectile claimed by North Korea' from the sea about 200 kilometers west of Qingdao and withdrew it."

At around 6:29 a.m. on the 31st, the South Korean military captured and tracked a "North Korea-claimed space projectile" launched southward from the area around Dongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province. However, this projectile passed over the offshore west of Baengnyeong Island and fell into the sea about 200 kilometers west of Cheongdo due to an abnormal flight. Qingdao is an island located about 60 kilometers west of Gunsan in Jeonbuk.

North Korea also admitted that there was an 'accident'. North Korea's media, the Korean Central News Agency, said, "The National Space Development Agency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted a planned military reconnaissance at the Sohae satellite launch site in Cheolsan County, North Pyongan Province at 6:27 am. The satellite 'Mangrikyung-1' was loaded onto a new satellite-carrying rocket 'Cheonrima-1' and launched. After the separation of the second stage, it lost propulsion due to an engine failure in the second stage engine and crashed into Seohae (the West Sea and the Yellow Sea)."

North Korea believes that the cause of the accident was the low reliability and stability of the new engine system introduced in the Chollima-1, and the unstable characteristics of the fuel used. We will start to find out the cause," he said, adding, "After various partial tests, we will carry out the second launch as soon as possible."