South Korean military salvages North’s SLV wreckage

North Korea

Published: 16 Jun. 2023, 09:31 Updated: 16 Jun. 2023, 09:44

South Korean military salvages North’s SLV wreckage

South Korea’s military retrieves part of the sunken North Korean satellite launch vehicle from the Yellow Sea after 15 days of salvage operations Thursday evening, in a photo released by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Friday. [NEWS1]

The South Korean military retrieved a part of the North Korean satellite launch vehicle (SLV) which sank in the Yellow Sea after 15 days of salvage operations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Friday.

The JCS said the military salvaged a part of the Chollima-1 SLV around 8:50 p.m. on Thursday.

The salvaged remains are believed to be the second stage of the three-stage Chollima-1 rocket, a sunken cylinder between 2 and 3 meters in diameter and 15 meters in length.

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

The 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.

The South Korean military initially recovered 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 because of the heavy weight.

South Korea's military forces have been working to salvage the remains of the North Korean SLV over the past two weeks since the crash, as the debris could help analysts gain insight into the North's ballistic missile and satellite reconnaissance technology.

However, such efforts were marred by difficult conditions including fast currents and poor visibility.

In turn, the South Korean Navy deployed two 3,500-ton salvage and rescue ships, the ROKS Tongyeong and the ROKS Gwangyang, the 3,200-ton ROKS Cheonghaejin submarine rescue ship, P-3 maritime patrol aircraft and deep-sea divers to assist retrieval operations.

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