The South Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korea launched a space rocket in the early hours of Thursday, but an incident occurred during the operation. The incident was described as "non-dangerous," and Pyongyang plans to launch another rocket in October. The South Korean military indicated that North Korea apparently launched a space rocket on Thursday, marking Pyongyang's second attempt this year following a failed attempt to launch a satellite in May. The South Korean military added that North Korea's recent rocket launch is considered unsuccessful after tracking its movement.
The launch prompted the Japanese government to issue an emergency warning before 4 AM local time (1900 GMT) through the J-Alert broadcasting system, advising residents of Okinawa, located at the southern tip of the country, to take shelter in their homes. About 20 minutes after the warning, Tokyo issued an update stating that the rocket had passed over the Pacific Ocean and lifted the warning. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno described the launch as a threat to regional security and stated that Tokyo would lodge a protest against North Korea. An unnamed U.S. official confirmed that the U.S. military was aware of North Korea's launch but refrained from providing further details.
