North Korea announced that an attempt to launch a new reconnaissance satellite into orbit had failed, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
North Korea said its attempt to put a second spy satellite into orbit had failed after the rocket carrying it exploded.
The confession came late Monday after South Korea's military reported the firing of an “unidentified flying object.”
“The launch of a new satellite-carrying rocket failed after the first stage exploded in mid-air during flight,” deputy director of North Korea's National Aeronautics and Space Technology Administration said in a report carried by state media.
The report said initial analysis suggested the cause was a newly developed liquid-fuel rocket motor, but other possible causes were also being investigated.
South Korean and Japanese officials had earlier said the launch appeared to have failed.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired an “unidentified flying object toward the south” over the Yellow Sea, and a large amount of debris was spotted in the sea a few minutes later.
In Japan, public broadcaster NHK reported similar results.
“The missile did not fly in the area announced, which is different from North Korea's intention. We are still analyzing whether it was a satellite,” a senior Defense Ministry official told reporters, Kyodo News reported.
Japan issued an emergency alert ordering evacuations in southern Okinawa prefecture, then lifted the alert and said the rocket would not pass over Japanese territory.
North Korea notified the country of its launch plans the same day, saying the window of opportunity for a launch would continue until June 4th.
Nuclear-armed North Korea successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite in November, drawing international condemnation.
The United States called the launch a “blatant violation” of UN sanctions, two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia and promised technical assistance to the reclusive country.
Kim Jong Un said late last year that the country would launch three more military reconnaissance satellites in 2024 as it continues a military modernization plan that saw a record number of weapons tests in 2023.
South Korean President Yun Seok-yeol said North Korea's fourth satellite launch “undermines peace and stability in the region and the world,” and South Korea's military carried out attack formation flights and strike drills to demonstrate “the strong capabilities and determination of our military.”
Experts said the spy satellites would improve Pyongyang's intelligence-gathering capabilities, especially over South Korea, and could provide crucial data in any military conflict.
South Korea and the United States have accused North Korea of sending Moscow weapons for use in the war in Ukraine in return for technical assistance.
South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday, citing government officials, that a group of Russian engineers had entered North Korea to help with launch preparations.
