North Korea’s Satellite Launch Ends in Disaster: Explosive Failure Amid Regional Summit

In response to North Korea’s launch of a military reconnaissance satellite, the South Korean Presidential Office held a security situation review meeting to discuss countermeasures.

According to the Presidential Office on the 28th, after the National Security Office immediately reported the details to President Yoon Suk Yeol the previous day, they held a security situation review meeting led by National Security Adviser Chang Ho Jin at 11:40 PM to receive a situation report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and discuss countermeasures.

Participants at the meeting condemned North Korea’s recent launch of another military reconnaissance satellite, which followed a similar launch in November of the previous year. They declared it a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. They labeled it a provocative act that threatens peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, in Northeast Asia, and across the international community. This condemnation comes despite repeated warnings from both the national government and the global community.

The South Korean military also decided to maintain a flawless security posture in preparation for the possibility of additional North Korean provocations.

Chang and other National Security Office officials were meeting attendees, including First Deputy Kim Tae Hyo, Second Deputy Yin Sung Hwan, Security Strategy Secretary Kang Jae Kwon, Defense Secretary Choi Byung Ok, and Crisis Management Center Director Kim Sang Ho.

Earlier, the South Korean military detected the launch of North Korea’s military reconnaissance satellite at around 10:44 PM on the 27th. The South Korean and U.S. authorities assessed that the projectile exploded in the air over North Korean waters after flying for a few minutes.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that “the National Aerospace Development Administration launched the reconnaissance satellite Manrikyong-1 on a new type of satellite carrier rocket from the Seohea Satellite Launch Site the previous day.”

The National Aerospace Technology Administration deputy director said, “The new type of satellite carrier rocket exploded in mid-air during the first stage of flight, causing the launch to fail.”