South Korea made a significant revelation on Wednesday as it announced the successful salvage of North Korea’s failed spy satellite from the sea, which was launched last month by Kim Jong Un‘s regime.
What Happened: The salvage operation, spanning 36 days, involved the deployment of ships, aircraft, and deep-sea divers to locate the North Korean rocket.
While the failed spy satellite provided valuable insights into Pyongyang’s capabilities, experts determined that it held minimal military significance after careful analysis conducted by American and South Korean experts.
"Through this operation, major parts of North Korea's space launch vehicle and satellite were recovered, and after careful analysis by American and South Korean experts, it was determined that they had no military efficacy as reconnaissance satellites," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, Bloomberg reported.
Why It Matters: North Korea on May 31 said its rocket carrying the satellite crashed into waters off the Korean Peninsula’s western coast after it lost thrust following the separation of its first and second stages. The satellite was part of a series of advanced weaponry that Kim has openly pledged to introduce recently, signaling his ambition to enhance Pyongyang's military capabilities.
The other weapons the dictator has vowed to develop are a multi-warhead missile, a nuclear submarine, a solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile and a hypersonic missile.
This development marks a setback for Kim, who has been actively pursuing the enhancement of military capabilities amid ongoing tensions with the U.S. and South Korea.
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