South Korea’s military announced on Friday that it had managed to recover a large part of a North Korean missile that fell into the sea after a 15-day search, France Presse reported.

A part of a North Korean missile was pulled out of the seaPhoto: Handout / AFP / Profimedia

On May 31, North Korea attempted to launch its first military surveillance satellite into orbit, but the device and its payload “fell into the sea” shortly after launch due to what Pyongyang said was a malfunction of the launcher.

After deploying a fleet of ships and minesweepers, as well as dozens of divers, the South Korean military said it had succeeded in recovering the main element of the launcher late Thursday in the Yellow Sea.

“The removed element will be analyzed in detail by specialized institutions, such as the National Defense Development Agency,” the message reads.

The report added that the piece was found at a depth of about 75 meters, about 200 kilometers southwest of Eocheon Island. Images released by South Korea’s Defense Ministry show a long, white, cylindrical metal structure with the inscription “Chonma,” possibly a shortened form of the Chollima-1 missile’s official name.

The May 31 launch was criticized by the United States, South Korea and Japan, which said it violated United Nations resolutions that prohibit a nuclear-armed nation from conducting tests using ballistic missile technology.

According to analysts, there are important points of technological convergence between ICBM development and space launch capabilities.

Seoul has spent two weeks trying to recover the wreckage of the launcher, saying its remains could help scientists better understand Pyongyang’s ballistic missile and satellite programs.

After the failure on May 31, North Korea promised that it would soon be able to successfully launch a military intelligence satellite.

After escalating tensions with its neighbor in 2019, North Korea accelerated its military development and declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power by its leader Kim Jong-un.

He called for an “exponential” increase in North Korea’s arsenal, including tactical nuclear weapons. (Agerpres)