Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Kim Jung-un riding a New Year rocket?
South Korea test-fired a solid-fuel rocket yesterday triggering panic over a UFO invasion, or a possible North Korean missile launch by Kim Jung-un, riding a new year rocket into the free south.
Seoul said in a statement that the launch was part of efforts to build a space-based surveillance capability and bolster its defence posture. The general public was not warned in advance because the launch involved sensitive military security issues.
Seoul plans to use a solid-fuelled rocket to put the nation’s first spy satellite into orbit. In March, South Korea conducted its first successful launch of a solid-fuel rocket. Solid-fuel rockets reduce launch times, have simpler structures and are cheaper to develop and manufacture than liquid-fuel rockets.
South Korean emergency offices and police received hundreds of citizens’ reports of witnessing a suspicious flying object and mysterious lights across the country, according to local media.
A twisty tendril of vapour could be seen snaking across the South Korean sky on Friday evening. Social media and Internet sites were alive with messages from citizens who said they saw a soaring object, rainbow-coloured vapour trail or other mysterious lights. Some posted photos and videos.
“What is this? Is this a UFO? I’m scared,” said one Twitter user. Another said they suspected it was Kim Jung-un riding a new year rocket, and worried about a war. Others suspected it was a drone light show or a supernatural phenomenon.
South Korea’s military detected the drones but failed to shoot them down, causing security concerns about its air defence network. The military later offered a rare apology for that.
