A frustrated intent
North Korea’s latest attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit ended in a mid-air explosion, Pyongyang said. The news comes after Seoul and Tokyo criticized the planned launch. Footage captured from northeast China shows a projectile on fire in the night sky, which later exploded in a fireball (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/ ).
The cause of the accident
According to the Northern National Aerospace Technology Administration, the satellite exploded during the first stage of flight due to the operational reliability of the newly developed oil and liquid oxygen engine.
North Korea’s priority
Putting a spy satellite into orbit has been one of the main priorities of the Kim Jong-un regime. Although North Korea claims to have achieved this last November, experts in Seoul have rejected this claim (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).
International reactions
The launch has been considered a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Both South Korea and the United States have condemned the act of provocation and expressed concern about the security situation in the region (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/ ).
Consequences
Japan issued a brief alert for residents of Okinawa Prefecture, but it was lifted minutes later. The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are analyzing the incident in detail in close cooperation.