South Korea and the United States are currently in coordination to search for and salvage the sunken parts of North Korea's failed launch of a purported space rocket earlier this week, Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said Friday, APA reports citing Yonhap News Agency.
Lee told lawmakers that the allies have been sharing information and coordinating together in the search efforts after the North's launch of the rocket carrying what it claims to be a spy satellite ended in failure early Thursday.
In a report, the defense ministry said the first stage of the rocket fell into waters west of the Korean Peninsula, while the second stage plunged into waters northeast of the Philippines.
When asked about the search operation, Lee said the military has yet to identify any floating debris from the rocket.
The ministry assessed that North Korea carried out the launch to make up for its first failed attempt in May and to demonstrate its capabilities and willingness to respond to an ongoing major South Korea-U.S. military exercise and recent efforts for trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.
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