North Korea Successfully Launches its Inaugural Spy Satellite into Orbit
North Korea claims successful satellite launch, bolstering defense against perceived military threats Concerns rise over possible Russian involvement
North Korea announced on Wednesday that it successfully launched its inaugural spy satellite into orbit. The country stated its intention to continue additional launches in order to protect against the perceived threat of dangerous military actions by its enemies. The satellite, named "Malligyong-1," was launched on Tuesday evening using a new carrier rocket called "Chollima-1," as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
North Korea's KCNA report stated that the launch of a reconnaissance satellite is within its legal right to enhance its self-defense capabilities. Despite escalating military tensions, South Korea, the United States, and Japan were unable to verify if the satellite successfully entered orbit.
South Korea has called the launch a "clear violation" of a UN Security Council resolution that prohibits North Korea from using ballistic missile technology. On Wednesday morning, the South Korean government partially suspended an agreement with North Korea that limited its reconnaissance and surveillance activities along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two countries.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un celebrates Tuesday night's satellite launch with workers in an image provided by state-run media.
Rodong Sinmun
The rocket carrying the satellite was launched in a southerly direction and is believed to have passed over Japans Okinawa prefecture.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida strongly criticized the launch, calling it a "grave situation" that poses a threat to the safety of the Japanese people. He also reaffirmed his dedication to collaborating with the US and South Korea in addressing North Korea's missile launches.
On Wednesday, the South Korean military released a statement, revealing that it had been closely monitoring the preparations for the launch in coordination with the US.
Aegis destroyers from South Korea, the US, and Japan have been deployed to monitor the launch, and detailed information is being thoroughly analyzed. Japanese Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa stated that his country is still working to confirm whether North Korea's satellite has successfully reached orbit.
Third satellite launch attempt
Pyongyang first attempted to put a satellite into orbit in late May, but the second stage of the rocket carrying the satellite malfunctioned and it crashed into the sea.
According to KCNA, the new engine system was deemed unreliable and unstable due to the fuel used, resulting in the failure of the mission. In a subsequent attempt in August, an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight led to another failure, as reported by KCNA at the time.
The rocket disintegrated into several pieces before crashing into the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean, as reported by Japanese officials.
Following the second unsuccessful launch, North Korean Ambassador Kim Song delivered a bold speech to the UN Security Council, asserting that the country's development of a spy satellite program was well within its rights as a sovereign nation. He refuted claims that the satellite launch was an attempt to obtain intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology.
A photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korea leader Kim Jong Un visiting a munitions factory at an undisclosed location in North Korea on January 28, 2022. The state media KCNA claims that the factory is producing a "major weapon system." The image was provided by a third party, and Reuters is unable to independently verify it. No third-party sales, no commercial or editorial sales in South Korea, and the image was digitally masked at the source.
KCNA/Reuters
North Korea believed to have exported over 1 million shells to Russia
On Tuesday night, Pyongyang launched its third expected attempt and has vowed to launch more in the near future. The National Aerospace Development Administration of North Korea announced its plan to send additional reconnaissance satellites to "secure the capability to reconnoiter the south Korean region." This announcement was made early Wednesday.
Pyongyang justified its possession of a satellite as a necessary self-defense measure in response to perceived provocations from the US, South Korea, and Japan. North Korea also criticized the US for considering the sale of advanced missiles to Japan and military equipment to South Korea, labeling it as a "dangerous act" in a report from KCNA earlier this week.
North Korea said it was "obvious" who the offensive military equipment would be aimed at and used against.
According to analysts, having even just one satellite in orbit would enhance North Korea's military positioning. "If successful, it would enhance North Korea's military command, control, and communication, as well as its intelligence and surveillance capabilities. This would improve North Korea's ability to command its forces in the event of any potential conflict," stated Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center.
Ankit Panda, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated that the lessons learned from Tuesday's launch will be utilized in the development of future satellites. He mentioned that the success of this launch will guide additional launches, aiming to create a robust constellation of Earth observation satellites for improved strategic situational awareness capabilities for North Korea.
However, some warned that the true potential of Pyongyang's recent launch on Tuesday has yet to be determined. They posited that North Korea stands to lose more from the South's renewal of intelligence gathering along the border than it stands to gain from the satellite launch.
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, stated, "The surveillance drone operations that Seoul is set to begin along the DMZ are likely to yield more valuable intelligence than North Korea's basic satellite program."
Russian connection?
South Koreas Defense Minister Shin Won-sik last Sunday said that the North was believed to have "almost resolved" its rocket engine issues "with Russias help."
After North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia in September, where he toured the Russian space rocket launch site with President Vladimir Putin, the latter expressed a readiness to support North Korea in enhancing its space and satellite program.
Panda warned against assuming that help and advice from Russia had been the deciding factor in the successful third launch. "It seems doubtful to me, considering the timeline, that North Korea has already received and put into action technical assistance from Russia," he said.
"Lets also bear in mind that the North Koreans themselves are remarkably capable at this point."
