North Korea says botched satellite launch was ‘gravest failure’

The North Korean rocket plunged into the sea “after losing thrust due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine,” Pyongyang had said after the launch failure in an unusually candid admission of a technical problem.

North Korea has said its botched military satellite launch last month was the “gravest failure” at the ruling party’s latest key meeting, state media KCNA reported on Monday.