N Korean rocket carrying 2nd spy satellite explodes shortly after launch


FE Team | Published: May 28, 2024 23:06:47


N Korean rocket carrying 2nd spy satellite explodes shortly after launch

SEOUL, South Korea, May 28 (AP): A rocket launched by North Korea to deploy the country's second spy satellite exploded shortly after liftoff Monday, state media reported, in a setback for leader Kim Jong Un's hopes to operate multiple satellites to better monitor the U.S. and South Korea.
Monday's failed launch came hours after leaders of South Korea, China and Japan met in Seoul in their first trilateral meeting in more than four years. It's highly unusual for North Korea to take provocative action when China, its major ally and economic pipeline, is engaging in high-level diplomacy in the region.
The launch drew rebukes from the North's neighbors because the U.N. bans North Korea from conducting any such launches, viewing them as covers for testing long-range missile technology.

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