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North Korea’s second attempt to place a spy satellite in orbit has failed after a problem occurred during its third stage, according to state media. This comes after the country’s first try in May ended in failure when the rocket crashed into the sea. The recent launch was part of North Korea’s plan to eventually deploy a fleet of satellites to monitor the movements of US and South Korean troops.

South Korea’s military confirmed the failure and tracked the flight from its launch site. The launch prompted an emergency warning in Japan, urging residents of Okinawa prefecture to take cover indoors. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno expressed concern over the repeated missile launches and stated that they pose a threat to regional security.

Parts of the rocket fell into the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean, according to Matsuno. South Korea’s military condemned the launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The US military was aware of the launch but declined to offer further details.

Despite the failure, North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) stated that they would investigate and fix the cause of the failure, planning to conduct another launch in October. The success of the October launch remains uncertain given the time constraints and North Korea’s need to iterate their rocket system.

North Korea considers its space and military rocket programs a sovereign right, relying on spy satellites to enhance the effectiveness of its weapons. In the past, the country has successfully launched earth observation satellites, though there was debate over whether they transmitted any information.

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