North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has announced that North Korea has finished building its first military intelligence satellite and has given the green light for its launch, according to the country’s media.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has announced that North Korea has finished building its first military intelligence satellite and has given the green light for its launch, according to the country’s media.
About a week ago, North Korea launched a new type of missile that uses solid fuel. This in turn could mean a technical breakthrough in Pyongyang’s weapons programs.
Analysts believe that there is significant technological overlap in the development of the intercontinental ballistic missile and the space program.
Kim, visiting North Korea’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration, also called on staff to “strengthen satellite intelligence capabilities by deploying multiple intelligence satellites in different orbits in succession.”
The development of a military intelligence satellite was one of the main defense projects announced by the North Korean leader in 2021.
Kim said on Tuesday that acquiring this intelligence technology was a “primary task that must be carried out”, citing threats from the US and South Korea.
In December 2022, North Korea announced that it had conducted an “important final stage inspection” of the development of the intelligence satellite, and planned to complete it by April 2023. At the time, South Korean experts expressed doubts about the test results, saying that the quality of the black-and-white images released by North Korea, allegedly taken from a satellite, was poor.
Pyongyang has not said when it plans to launch a military reconnaissance satellite into space, but Kim said on Tuesday that it would be launched on the scheduled date.
Experts suggest that North Korea could first launch a “symbolic” satellite into space and then upgrade it, but without the technological support of China and Russia, it will struggle to conduct reconnaissance. However, Pyongyang’s announcement cannot be ignored.
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