On Monday, the Japanese government issued an emergency warning for Okinawa residents to seek shelter due to the potential threat of a North Korean ballistic missile, reported Reuters.
“Stay indoors or find shelter,” the Japanese government announced via its J-Alert broadcasting system, according to the report.
Meanwhile, North Korea reported that its attempt to launch another spy satellite into orbit had failed, with the rocket carrying the satellite exploding mid-air on Monday.
Earlier, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated that the launch vehicle might have failed in flight, noting the detection of “many fragments” in the ocean from the rocket. South Korean and US intelligence agencies are investigating whether the launch was unsuccessful.
“Around two minutes after detecting what is suspected to be North Korea’s military reconnaissance satellite, many fragments of the projectile were observed around 22:46 (1346 GMT) in North Korean waters, and the US and South Korea are analyzing whether it had operational flight,” AFP quoted Seoul’s JCS.
The South Korean JCS also reported that North Korea fired the projectile on a southern path off its west coast at approximately 10:44 p.m. (1344 GMT), shortly after Pyongyang announced a satellite launch before June 4.
The launch appeared to originate from Dongchang-ri, a northwestern area of North Korea where its main space flight center is located, the JCS added.
“The missile did not fly into the area that had been announced, and the situation is not as North Korea had intended. We are still analyzing whether it is a satellite or not,” Kyodo news quoted a senior Japanese defense ministry official.
The official further noted that the color of the flames in the footage suggests that liquid fuel may be burning, but details are still being analyzed.
It is important to note that Pyongyang successfully launched its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit in November last year after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia’s most modern space launch center in September.
North Korea is attempting to build a space-based surveillance network in response to what it perceives as increasing US-led military threats. The North Korean leader previously announced at a ruling party meeting that Pyongyang plans to launch three additional military spy satellites in 2024.
