North Korea spy satellite wreckage retrieved, Seoul says. Finds this key detail

The missile did not appear to be capable of military surveillance, South Korea said.

South Korea's military said that it has retrieved the wreckage of a North Korean spy satellite. The satellite plunged into the sea in May after a botched launch. It did not appear to be capable of military surveillance, South Korea said.

A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea's rocket launch during a news program, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul. (AP)

The military had recovered parts of the rocket used in the North's failed launch of its first military satellite last month. The booster and payload crashed into the sea soon after takeoff.

"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.

The South's military said it had ended its salvage operations on Wednesday.