North Korea announces launch of first military spy satellite in June

▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center), along with his daughter Ju-ae (rear), talks with members of the Non-permanent Satellite Launch Preparatory Committee in Pyongyang on May 16, 2023, to inspect the country's first military reconnaissance satellite, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. (Yonhap) 출처 : 산경투데이(https://sankyungtoday.com)

By Steve Yoon



North Korea announced that it will launch its first military spy satellite in June in order to monitor U.S. military activity in real time.



In a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency,  a ranking official of the communist country said the North's planned satellite launch is an "indispensable" act to strengthen war preparedness.



Ri Pyong Chol, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Worker's Party denounced ongoing joint military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea as showing "reckless ambition for aggression."



"We will comprehensively consider the present and future threats and put into more thoroughgoing practice the activities for strengthening all-inclusive and practical war deterrents," Ri said.



The nuclear-armed contury has said it has completed development of its first military spy satellite, and its leader Kim Jong Un has approved final preparations for the launch.



The statement did not specify the exact launch date, but North Korea has notified Japan of its plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11.



In response to the notification, Japan has said it would shoot down any projectile that threatens its territory.



North Korea has announced the completion of preparations to mount its first military spy satellite on a rocket, raising speculation that the North may launch at anytime.



South Korea's foreign ministry slammed the North's use of the missile technology as a clear violation of the U.N. sanctions



"It is a nonsense to use our legitimate joint training and combined defence posture with the U.S., which were to respond to North Korea's advanced nuclear and missile threats, as an excuse for launching a reconnaissance satellite," said Lim Soo-suk, spokesperson of the  ministry.



The North's leader, Kim Jong-un, has recently inspected a non-permanent committee responsible for preparing the launch of the military reconnaissance satellite and approved of its "future action plan."



The launch would be the North's latest in a series of missile launches and weapons tests, including one of a new, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile last month.







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North Korea announces launch of first military spy satellite in June