Stunning footage has emerged of Kim Jong-Un's latest rocket launch that ended in a fiery explosion minutes after liftoff, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The "Malligyong-1-1" reconnaissance satellite burst into flames mid-flight on Monday after taking off from North Korea's northwestern space center, and the catastrophic moment marked a serious setback for the country in the international space race.
The North Korea National Aerospace Technology Administration reportedly confirmed that the failure occurred during the first stage of flight and that the satellite fell into the Yellow Sea.
The South Korean military claimed to have captured the explosion in a video released on Tuesday, per the Associated Press. In the black-and-white footage, the satellite and attached rocket appear as a small bright spot that explodes into a white cloud, followed by several flashes.
Japanese news agency NHK also broadcasted a video of an orange dot igniting near North Korea's border with China. Debris from the rocket was found in the sea following the launch, the outlet said.
Officials in North Korea attributed the accident to an engine problem, and an initial analysis reportedly revealed that the explosion was linked to the reliability of operating a newly developed liquid oxygen-petroleum engine.
Analysts speculate this engine type might help separate North Korea's space endeavors from its missile activities, enabling the country to avoid international sanctions.
The United States condemned the launch, viewing it as a cover for testing long-range missile technology. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command called the event a "brazen violation" of United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea's ballistic missile program.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry similarly labeled the launch “a provocation that seriously threatens our and regional security.”
During a trilateral meeting, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for world leaders to take action against Jong-Un's efforts, while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged North Korea to abandon its plans. Chinese Premier Li Qiang focused on promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula without directly addressing the launch.
"Some observers say that North Korea’s satellite launch on the first day of its eight-day window might have been aimed at casting a chill over the Seoul-Beijing-Tokyo meeting and registering its displeasure with China," AP reported.
Despite the setback, some analysts viewed the attempted launch as a technological leap for the isolated nation, whose satellite and rocket technology have been boosted by assistance from Russia.
The failure followed North Korea's first successful spy satellite deployment in November. Experts believe the latest rocket differed from the Chollima-1 previously used by the country.
