Explainer-Why North Korea's satellite launches draw condemnation

FILE PHOTO: Passengers watch a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a space rocket, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, August 24, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea appears to be preparing for its third attempt this year at launching a reconnaissance satellite, a move that may prove as controversial as the nuclear-armed country's weapons tests.

Earlier attempts on May 31 - North Korea's first such launch since 2016 - and Aug. 24 ended in fiery failures when its new Chollima-1 rockets crashed into the sea.