DSouth Korean forces say they have successfully recovered a large piece of a crashed North Korean space rocket from the sea. Apparently the main part of the rocket was taken out of the Yellow Sea on Thursday evening, the South Korean general staff said on Friday.
North Korea failed on May 31 in an attempt to send a spy satellite into space. North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported that the new satellite launch vehicle “Cheollima-1” sank under the sea. The projectile “lost momentum due to an abnormal start of the two-stage motor”.
The South Korean military then launched a full-scale salvage operation, dispatching a fleet of rescue ships, minesweepers and dozens of deep-sea divers. The wreckage that has now been secured was recovered at a depth of 75 meters around 200 kilometers southwest of the island of Eocheong, the General Staff said.
The wreckage is now being thoroughly examined by specialized institutions, including the State Defense Development Agency. Scientists hope the analysis of the recovered debris will provide insight into North Korea’s missile and satellite programs.
The Defense Ministry in Seoul released images showing a long, white, barrel-shaped metal structure with “Chonma” written on it – possibly a short form of the missile’s official name.
