On the night of Wednesday, North Korea conducted a satellite launch that was supposed to launch North Korea's first spy satellite into orbit.

But the launch failed. The second stage of the rocket failed and caused the craft to crash into the sea, North Korean state media said.

The reason for the failure of the new satellite launch rocket Chollima-1 is said to have been due to an instability in the engine and in the fuel system.

Triggered war alarms in Japan

South Korea's military immediately reported that North Korea had fired some kind of rocket, according to TT. This triggered Japanese authorities to issue a short-term missile alert in the Okinawa region. People were urged to search buildings or underground, but the alarm was lifted half an hour later.

Also in South Korea's capital Seoul, alarms were issued. Residents received text messages urging them to prepare for evacuation, but authorities quickly withdrew the call.

Japanese and South Korean authorities strongly condemn North Korea's launch through diplomatic channels.

New launch soon

North Korean authorities announced that they will fix the problems with the satellite and make a new launch in the near future.

The failure is an obvious embarrassment for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his quest to demonstrate military strength to the United States and South Korea, according to the AP.

The launch was North Korea's sixth satellite launch attempt, and the first since 2016.

North Korea's military celebrated its 75th anniversary in February. In the clip at a parade, Kim Jong shows off a large number of long-range robots – and his ten-year-old daughter – who is believed to be the one who will succeed him in the future.

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Kim Jong-Un showed off his daughter and a record amount of advanced weapons at the parade in Pyongyang. Photo: AP/AFP