Starting Operation In December, Kim Jong-un Calls The Launch Of A Spy Satellite A Right To Defend Themselves

North Korean spy satellite launch. (Source: KCNA)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the launch of the spy satellite, which will start operating next December, was a form of self-defense, Pyongyang welcomed it because it indicated they could carry out attacks on any part of the world, according to state media reports.

North Korea said on Tuesday the country's first spy satellite successfully orbited, sparking international condemnation that it violated UN resolutions over a ban on the use of technology that could be applied to ballistic missile programs.

Leader Kim visited the National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) on Thursday to congratulate scientists and space technicians on the successful launch of Tuesday which it said was "an eye-opening event", the KCNA news agency reported.

"He said the possession of reconnaissance satellites was the embodiment of the right to defend itself. The DPRK armed forces should not give up a bit or stop, even for a moment," KCNA said, using the initials of North Korea's official name of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korea held a reception to celebrate the launch on Thursday, in which Prime Minister Kim Tok Hun said the satellite would develop North Korea's military to become "the best army in the world that has attack capabilities that reach the rest of the world".

This week's satellite launch was North Korea's third attempt this year, after two failures and following leader Kim's trip to Russia in September, where President Vladimir Putin promised to help Pyongyang build the satellite.

Pemerintah Pyongyang mengatakan, satelit yang disebutkan Malligyong-1 tersebut akan memulai misinya pada 1 Desember, setelah melalui proses penyesuaian selama tujuh hingga 10 hari, dikutip dari Kyodo News.

After the launch, North Korea's official media reported that Leader Kim was briefed during a visit to the satellite's control center.

The North Korean leader noted that his country's armed forces already have "eyes" capable of monitoring very far distances, according to the report.