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North Korea reportedly launched a space rocket on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military. This marks the second attempt by North Korea this year, following a failed launch in May. The launch triggered an emergency warning in Japan, with residents in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa being advised to seek shelter indoors.

The Japanese government later announced that the missile had passed through towards the Pacific Ocean, and lifted the emergency warning. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno labeled the launch as a threat to regional security and stated that Tokyo would file a protest with North Korea.

The United States was aware of the launch, but did not provide further details. North Korea had previously announced its intention to launch a satellite between August 24-31, stating that it needed a military reconnaissance satellite to monitor U.S. military activities.

The North’s previous attempt to launch a satellite in May was unsuccessful, with both the booster and payload falling into the sea. The North Korean state media attributed the failure to an unstable and unreliable new engine system and fuel. It remains unclear whether North Korea used the same system in the recent launch or if it introduced a new system.

Analysts speculated that North Korea may have resolved the issues encountered during the initial launch attempt. South Korea, Japan, and the United States condemned the May launch as a provocation and a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting the North’s use of ballistic missile technology. North Korea regards its space and military rocket programs as its sovereign right. Analysts believe that spy satellites are essential to bolstering the effectiveness of its weapons.

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