North Korea says it put a military spy satellite into orbit on third try

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it has put a military spy satellite into orbit on its third attempt. The North’s space authorities said the 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.