The South Korean military and experts believe North Korea's latest space launch vehicle, the Chollima-1, features the newest technologies from the regime’s intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) program.
Efforts are under way on Friday to retrieve debris from the rocket from the floor of the Yellow Sea some 200 kilometers west from Eocheong Island, with the military intent on acquiring the segment in a bid to gain insight into the North’s ICBM and satellite development.
The military suspects that the debris from Wednesday’s failed launch, estimated at 15 meters in length, is a part of the rocket's second-stage and even third-stage segment.
Once salvaged, officials will analyze the debris to determine whether Pyongyang has procured and utilized parts banned under United Nations Security Council(UNSC) resolutions.
During a meeting with the press on Thursday, Bonnie Jenkins, the U.S. under secretary for arms control and international security, called for continued efforts to block space launch-related equipment and technology from entering North Korea.