North Korea Rejects US Criticism of Failed Satellite Launch

The US is in no position to condemn North Korea for trying to launch a satellite, having sent thousands into orbit itself, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong-un, said on Thursday, promising that Pyongyang will soon launch its first-ever reconnaissance spacecraft.

On Wednesday, North Korea confirmed that its rocket carrying military satellite Malligyong-1 crashed into the Yellow Sea due to a malfunction of the second-stage engine.

The development was criticized by Washington and its allies in South Korea and Japan. US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said the attempted launch by Pyongyang was a reason for “major concern”, even if it failed.

“Kim Jong-un and his scientists and engineers, they work and they improve and they adapt. And they continue to develop military capabilities that are a threat not only on the peninsula but to the region,” he explained.