North Korea failed for the second time in about three months to put a spy satellite into orbit when its rocket had troubles soon after launch, dealing a blow to Kim Jong Un who has said a reconnaissance probe is needed to keep an eye on US forces.
North Korea launched a rocket at 3:50 a.m. Thursday in a southward direction that failed a few minutes into flight, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Parts of the rocket appeared to crash down about 600 kilometers (375 miles) east of the Philippines, Japan’s top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said. Residents in the southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa were warned to take shelter, according to a tweet from the Japanese prime minister’s office, although the alert was later lifted.
