South Korea Retrieves Wreckage of North Korean Missile

The South Korean military stated today, Friday, that "South Korea has retrieved from the sea a part of a missile used in North Korea's failed attempt to launch its first military satellite last month, at a depth of 75 meters below the surface off the western coast." It added in a statement, "The retrieved object will undergo thorough analysis in cooperation with the United States." The military continues search operations to find other parts. Lee Chun-kyun, a researcher at the Korea Science and Technology Policy Institute, mentioned that "the object recently recovered appears to be a fuel tank." He stated, "If the military finds an engine connected to the tank, it will help discover some characteristics of North Korea's new missile engine designed to produce greater thrust at higher altitudes." On another note, the South Korean Navy announced that "the U.S. submarine equipped with guided missiles (USS Michigan) arrived in the country today, marking its first visit since 2017 for special joint military exercises aimed at improving response to threats from North Korea."