North Korea claims its 3rd attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit has been successful

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea claims it has successfully placed a military spy satellite into orbit. The North’s space authorities said in a statement Wednesday that its launch vehicle placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night. The North’s claim couldn’t be independently confirmed immediately. Observers doubt whether the satellite is advanced enough to perform military reconnaissance. But the launch still invited strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the U.N. bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology.