JAKARTA - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the country would launch a number of reconnaissance satellites in the coming years, to provide real-time information on military actions by the United States and its allies, state media reported on Thursday.
During an inspection at North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA), Kim said "many" military reconnaissance satellites would be placed into solar synchronous polar orbits, within a five-year plan period first announced last year, state news agency KCNA reported.
"He noted, the purpose of developing and operating a military reconnaissance satellite is to provide real-time information to the armed forces of the DPRK (North Korea) about military actions against it by the US imperialist aggression forces and their subordinate forces in South Korea, Japan and the Pacific," the KCNA report said. as reported by Reuters March 10.
North Korea appears to be preparing to launch a reconnaissance satellite, a move that may prove as controversial as the nuclear-armed nation's weapons tests, as they use the same banned ballistic missile technology, experts say.
Not only that, North Korea said it had carried out two tests of the satellite system on February 27 and March 5. Authorities in South Korea, Japan and the United States said the test involved the launch of a ballistic missile.
The launch drew international criticism and the US military said on Thursday it had stepped up surveillance and reconnaissance gathering in the Yellow Sea. The US also said it had increased its ballistic missile defense readiness following a "significant increase" in North Korean missile testing.
Furthermore, Leader Kim defended satellite work not only about gathering information, but protecting North Korea's sovereignty and national interests, exercising its legitimate right to self-defense, and elevating national prestige, KCNA explained.
"He stressed the urgent project to perfect the war preparedness capacity of the country, by enhancing our country's war deterrence is the highest revolutionary task, the most important political and military priority task for our Party and government," KCNA said.
To note, North Korea's space launch has previously been condemned by the United States and its allies as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, which have imposed sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.
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