The agency said that Kim met Tuesday with the non-permanent committee charged with preparing for the launch of the satellite before he inspected it.
The North Korean leader announced in mid-April that the construction of the satellite was completed and ordered its launch. The announcement came a week after Pyongyang confirmed it had successfully launched its new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), in a move that reflects significant progress in North Korea’s armament programme.
Analysts believe that there is a significant technical link between the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and space launch capabilities.
And the official news agency said that Kim, “after reviewing the committee’s work in detail, inspected on Tuesday the Military Reconnaissance Satellite No. 1, which is ready for loading after a final check for its general assembly and for monitoring the space environment.”
Kim Jong Un accused the United States and South Korea of escalating what he considered “confrontational maneuvers” against North Korea, stressing that his country would exercise its right to self-defense. The agency added, “After that, he approved the future work plan of the preparatory committee.”
The development of a military reconnaissance satellite was one of the major defense projects presented by Kim Jong Un in 2021. Last December, Pyongyang said it conducted an “important final test” for the development of a spy satellite.
Experts immediately questioned this news, stressing that the quality of the images supposedly taken from a satellite is bad.
Pyongyang did not give a date for the launch of the satellite, but Kim demanded in April that it be launched on time.
Analysts believe that it is difficult for Pyongyang to conduct reconnaissance operations through satellites with its own technology and without technical support from Russia or China.
However, Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP in April that “North Korea’s reconnaissance satellites are an important factor in the event of a pre-emptive strike, and for this reason they pose a great threat to the South.”
