North Korea fails to launch satellite: state media

Attempt comes as Japan, U.S. and South Korea align defenses

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae meet with members of the Non-permanent Satellite Launch Preparatory Committee as he inspects the country's first military reconnaissance satellite in Pyongyang on May 16. © Reuters

STEVEN BOROWIEC, Nikkei staff writer

May 31, 2023 07:04 JST

Updated on May 31, 2023 10:31 JST

SEOUL -- An attempt by North Korea to launch a satellite ended in failure early Wednesday morning due to a rocket malfunction, state media said.

The satellite, called the Chollima-1, crashed into the sea due to a problem with the rocket's engine and fuel systems, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. The agency did not specify where the rocket crashed.