The military stated that the debris was recovered on Thursday evening and that they continued their search for additional items from what the North claimed to be a space launch vehicle.
On May 31, North Korea attempted to launch its first spy satellite. However, the flight was unsuccessful, and the booster and payload fell into the water. Soon after the launch, South Korea discovered debris off its west coast and began a salvage operation with the intention of studying the new rocket.
The "Chonma," which means "winged horse" in Korean, was depicted in photographs that were made public by the South Korean military. The rocket was said to be called "Chollima-1" by North Korea.
The military issued a statement that read, "The salvaged object will be thoroughly analysed by expert organizations, including the Agency for Defense Development."
The military would continue looking for the payload and the third stage, according to Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup of South Korea. The debris appeared to be the second stage of the rocket.
South Korea reported on Monday that Chinese warships had also carried out salvage operations in the waters where the North Korean rocket went down. Whether or not the Chinese military was going to continue its search was not immediately clear.
The launch has been criticized by Seoul and Washington as a provocation and a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit the North from utilizing ballistic missile technology.
Pyongyang promised to carry out another launch soon and asserted that it was exercising its right to space development in response to what it referred to as "aggression" by the United States.
A U.S. submarine showed up in South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its east coast and warned of an "inevitable" response to military drills held by South Korean and American forces.