Kim Jong Un inspects North Korea’s first spy satellite
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected his country’s first military spy satellite and given the green light to its “future action plan”.
Kim Jong Un on April 17, 2023.
AFP
The leader met with the non-permanent committee responsible for preparing the satellite’s launch on Tuesday before inspecting it, the official North Korean news agency KCNA said on Wednesday.
In mid-April, Kim Jong Un announced that its construction was complete and ordered it to begin. The announcement came a week after Pyongyang claimed it had successfully launched a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a key step in North Korea’s weapons program.
According to analysts, there is significant technological compatibility between ICBM development and space launch capabilities.
On Tuesday, KCNA reported that “after a detailed briefing on the committee’s work, (Kim Jong Un) inspected the No. 1 military spy satellite, ready for loading after final General Assembly testing and control of the space environment.”
Accusing the United States and South Korea of stepping up what he called “confrontational maneuvers” against the North, the leader said his country was exercising its right to self-defense. He then “approved the future action plan of the preparatory committee,” KCNA added.
Nuclear power ‘irreversible’
The creation of a military spy satellite is one of the major defense projects presented by Kim Jong Un in 2021. Last December, Pyongyang said it had conducted an “important final test” of its spy satellite. The news was immediately questioned by experts who said the quality of the images allegedly taken from the satellite was poor.
Pyongyang did not give a launch date, but in April the leader demanded that “it be launched on schedule.”
Last year, North Korea declared its status as a nuclear power “irreversible,” firmly closing the door on any talks on its disarmament.
Analysts say it would be difficult for Pyongyang to carry out satellite reconnaissance missions with its own technology without technical support from Russia or China. However, “North Korea’s spy satellites represent a significant threat to the South as they are a key factor in pre-emptive strikes,” Yang Moo-jin, the university’s president, told AFP in April. Seoul North Korean Studies.
AFP
Did you find an error?Please let us know.
“Avid gamer. Social media geek. Proud troublemaker. Thinker. Travel fan. Problem solver.”