S. Korea searching for N. Korean rocket debris

Seoul — South Korea’s navy on Friday launched a salvage operation to retrieve the debris from North Korea’s failed rocket launch, a military spokesman said Friday.

“We’ve located where the debris landed and we’re making efforts to salvage it,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman told AFP.

The announcement came despite a warning from the North last week not to attempt such an operation.

“If anyone… attempts to shoot down or to salvage our space rocket debris, we would retaliate ruthlessly,” Pyongyang’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, in charge of inter-Korean ties, had said.

Yonhap news agency said more than a dozen South Korean navy ships, many of them equipped with sonar and backed by divers, were combing the area.

“We believe some large chunks are lying on the sea bed,” the spokesman said.

The depth of the sea is between 70 and 100m (230 and 330 feet) making it feasible to retrieve large chunks of debris, Yonhap said.