TOKYO, August 24. /TASS/. North Korea's second attempt to launch a reconnaissance satellite failed due to troubles experienced during the third stage of the carrier rocket’s flight, North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

"The flights of the first and second stages of the rocket were normal, but the launch failed due to an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight," the report said.

The carrier rocket took off from the Sohae launch site at around 04:00 a.m. on Thursday local time (10:00 p.m. Wednesday Moscow time).

According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, fragments of the rocket splashed down in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. No damage was reported.

North Korea’s previous launch attempt was held on May 31. The Chollima-1 rocket carrying the Malligyong-1 military reconnaissance satellite fell into the Yellow Sea due to second-stage engine issues and fuel instability. The North Korean authorities announced plans to carry out another launch in the near future after troubleshooting the relevant issues.