South Korea's military said on Wednesday it has retrieved the wreckage of a North Korean spy satellite that plunged into the sea in May after a botched launch, Reuters reports.
The South Korean military added it had found that the satellite did not appear to be capable of military surveillance.
North Korea said after the failed launch that the rocket plunged into the sea "after losing thrust due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine."
Last month, the North said the botched satellite launch had been the "gravest failure" and announced it will be preparing for another launch in the near future.
The South Korean military last month recovered parts of the rocket used in the North's failed launch of its first military satellite.
"After detailed analysis on major parts of North Korea's space launch vehicle and satellite which were salvaged, South Korean and U.S. experts have assessed that they had no military utility as a reconnaissance satellite at all," the military said in a statement, adding it had ended its salvage operations.
The North Korean failed launch came as it has intensified its missile launches in recent months, with some triggering emergency warning systems in parts of Japan.
The country tested dozens of ballistic weapons in 2022, including its first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017.
In April, it tested a new nuclear underwater attack drone and also fired cruise missiles during a weapon test and firing drill.
A week later, North Korea successfully test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile powered by solid propellants.