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North Korea confirmed that its second attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit failed during the third launch stage. State media stated that the error causing the launch to fail was not a significant issue and pledged to have a successful launch in October. North Korea’s official news agency reported that the flights of the first and second stages of the rocket were normal, but an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight caused the launch to fail.

South Korea’s military announced earlier today that North Korea had fired a space launch vehicle, marking the beginning of Pyongyang’s second attempt to put a military satellite in orbit. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launch, but did not provide further details. The launch was initially detected by the Japanese government, which identified it as a suspected ballistic missile. The projectile was reported to have flown over Japanese territory.

North Korea had notified Japan’s coast guard of the planned launch between August 24 and August 31, leading Tokyo to mobilize ships and its PAC-3 missile defense system in preparation for any potential impact on its territory. However, such a launch is considered to be an illegal act by Seoul, as it violates UN sanctions that prohibit North Korea’s ballistic technology tests, which can be used for both space launches and missiles.

The launch comes shortly after the leaders of Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo met at Camp David in the United States, where North Korea’s growing nuclear threats were a significant topic of discussion. In May, North Korea launched its first military reconnaissance satellite, named “Chollima-1,” but it ended in failure as the rocket carrying it plunged into the sea minutes after takeoff.

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