Seoul [South Korea], December 31: The South Korean military confirmed it had tested a solid-fuel rocket the day before, after an unannounced test caused panic among the public and even suggested it was an alien flying saucer, AP news agency reported on December 31. or a North Korean missile launch.
South Korea's Ministry of National Defense issued a statement saying the launch was part of a plan to build up the ability to spy from space and strengthen the defense posture. The agency did not notify the public in advance because the launch involved sensitive military security issues.
A trail of white and red swirling smoke trails after a bright spot appeared in the sky over South Korea on the evening of October 30. Korean social networks and pages are flooded with people's news after witnessing the mysterious phenomenon. Some netizens even posted photos and movies.
"What is this? Is it a flying saucer (UFO)?" one person asked on Twitter. Another person suspected that it was a North Korean missile and feared war, while another said it was a "North Korean spy operating in South Korea sending signals to the north". Some even thought it was a supernatural phenomenon.
South Korea's emergency response agencies and police received hundreds of calls from people who reported seeing suspicious flying objects and mysterious lights in the sky.
South Korea's missile launch comes four days after South Korean officials accused North Korea of sending five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the demarcation line for the first time in five years. The South Korean military detected them but failed to shoot them down, leading to concerns about the air defense network. The military later apologized.
South Korean officials say they plan to use a solid-fuel rocket to put the country's first spy satellite into orbit. In March, South Korea successfully launched a solid-fuel rocket for the first time.
Solid-fuel rockets shorten launch time, have a simple structure, and have lower development and production costs than liquid-fueled rockets, according to South Korean officials. The South Korean Ministry of National Defense confirmed the December 30 launch was a follow-up to the March launch.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper
