S. Korean military still in operation to retrieve sunken part of N. Korean space rocket

SEOUL, June 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Navy is still carrying out an operation to search for and retrieve a 15-meter-long part of a North Korean space rocket in the Yellow Sea after it sank to the sea floor, the military said Thursday.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has released photos of the heavy part of what the North claimed to be a satellite-carrying rocket launched Wednesday, but it dropped to the sea bed now at a depth of around 75 meters underwater, a JCS official said.

It appears to be 2 to 3 meters in diameter, and which part of the rocket it is remains unclear, according to the official who requested anonymity.

The Navy has mobilized warships, aircraft and divers to salvage the part, but there are restrictions, including poor visibility.

The North launched the rocket carrying a purported military reconnaissance satellite, but it fell into the sea due to the "abnormal starting of the second-stage engine," according to its official Korean Central News Agency.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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