JCS says Chinese vessels operating in satellite salvage area

North Korea

Published: 12 Jun. 2023, 17:07

JCS says Chinese vessels operating in satellite salvage area

South Korean military vessels retrieve a white metal cylinder that the Joint Chiefs of Staff believe was part of the North Korean satellite launch vehicle that crashed into the Yellow Sea on May 31. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday that Chinese warships are also actively carrying out operations in the Yellow Sea, where South Korean naval vessels have been working to salvage the wreckage of Pyongyang's satellite launch vehicle (SLV) Chollima-1.

The admission follows a report by NK News, a U.S.-based North Korea-focused media organization, on Friday that Chinese vessels have intensified their activities in the Yellow Sea, where the debris from the North's failed satellite launch fell in what is seen as a possible effort to recover the rocket debris before South Korea does.

It reported that several Chinese ships identified as "law enforcement" have deviated from their typical routes and sailed to waters west of the Korean Peninsula, where the rocket fell, citing maritime data.

An informed source familiar with the recovery efforts told the U.S. news outlet that China may be searching for the debris in similar areas as the South "perhaps on behalf of North Korea."

On May 31, North Korea attempted to launch a military spy satellite from its Sohae satellite launching site in Tongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province, but the Chollima-1 SLV failed due to a botched engine ignition during second-stage separation, according to its state media.

The space launch vehicle debris fell into the Yellow Sea approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Eocheong Island, which is located 70 kilometers off the North Jeolla coast, according to the JCS.

South Korean military forces have been working to salvage the remains of the North Korean SLV since the crash, especially the Chollima-1's payload, as the debris could help analysts gain insight into the North's ballistic missile and satellite reconnaissance technology.

The military initially succeeded in recovering a part of the projectile that appeared to be a cylinder connecting the first and second-stage rockets, but the debris fell into the sea.

Military officials estimate that the sunken cylinder was 15 meters in length, between 2 and 3 meters in diameter, making it quite heavy and difficult to recover.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the first nation to salvage wreckage from the sea can claim it, meaning it's up for grabs for either South Korea or China.

"Regarding the Chinese vessels, a salvage operation is currently being carried out at a point 200 kilometers west of Eocheong Island, in an open sea area," Col. Lee Sung-jun, a JCS spokesman, told reporters in a briefing Monday. "We know that some Chinese warships are operating in the open seas."

He had been asked to confirm reports that Chinese vessels are also conducting salvage efforts in the area, and if they were hindering South Korea's efforts.

"We understand that there are no such disturbances to respond to," added Lee.

North Korea had reported to the International Maritime Organization that May 31 to June 11 was its window for a satellite vehicle launch.

While this deadline expired Sunday, the JCS said that it is not letting down its guard.

"Regarding a Tongchang-ri launch, South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are preparing in close cooperation for various possible provocations, and are focusing their attention on the area concerned," Lee said.

Pyongyang claims it has the right to launch a space vehicle to put a satellite into orbit. However, the international community suspects such attempts are disguised attempts to test intercontinental ballistic missile technology, and UN Security Council resolutions ban the regime from any activity using such technology.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]