North Korea’s state media announced on May 28 that the country’s reconnaissance satellite launch failed. The Korean Central News Agency reported in the early hours of May 28 that a new rocket carrying a reconnaissance satellite exploded in mid-air shortly after liftoff from the country’s west coast.　The preliminary investigation results indicated that the cause of the failure lies on the reliability of the newly developed engine. The South Korean military said that North Korea launched what Pyongyang claimed to be a “military reconnaissance satellite” from the vicinity of Dongchang-ri toward the Yellow Sea on the night of May 27.

It also said that numerous fragments were detected in North Korean waters two minutes after the launch and likely indicating that it exploded in the air. In response to this situation, South Korea is conducting a detailed analysis with the US intelligence authorities.This is North Korea’s first satellite launch since November last year, when it claimed the launch was successful.

North Korea’s General Secretary Kim Jong-un indicated a plan to launch three more satellite this year.