The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Jong Un inspected North Korea’s first military reconnaissance satellite with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, on May 16 and approved the next steps of an unspecified “future action plan“ set forth by the “Non-permanent Satellite-launching Preparatory Committee.“ The group is composed of scientists and technicians of the North’s National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) and other research institutes and universities, and carries the responsibility of launching the DPRK’s first functional spy satellite – a move that could happen in the next few weeks.
The satellite would be ready to be loaded onto a rocket once it has completed “the final general assembly check and a space environment test,“ the KCNA boasted. Partially blurred photos released by the Rodong Sinmun show the North Korean leader and his daughter in white lab coats near an object which appears to be the main component of a satellite – a polygonal cylinder with integrated solar panels wrapped in gold insulating foil.
The South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is quoted by Associated Press (AP) as saying that North Korea has not yet informed international maritime and telecommunication authorities of any plans and dates for the blast-off. The satellite launch would violate several United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions that prohibit the North from using any long-range or ballistic technologies, threatening regional peace and stability. “The announcement of the satellite launch plan shows yet again that the North Korean regime is preoccupied with continuing its illegal provocations while ignoring the plight of its people,” the MOFA said, referring to North Korea’s broken economy.
Kim’s visit to NADA was his first public appearance in a month – he had last been there on Apr. 18, when state media announced the satellite’s completion. Now he stressed that the successful launch of the military intelligence satellite was an “urgent requirement of the prevailing security environment of the country,” as well as “a clear stride forward in developing the space military, science and technology of the country,“ according to KCNA.
However, there are doubts about the capabilities of the new satellite. Some South Korean analysts believe that the satellite shown in state media photos is too small and crudely constructed to produce high-resolution images and is thus unlikely to provide useful information.
The satellite will likely be launched from an upgraded Sohae Station
Depending on the status of preparations, the satellite launch could take place as early as mid-June, though Pyongyang might want to coincide the event with important state anniversaries in July, September or October, according to Kim Dong Yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. He cited the Sohae Satellite Launching Station as a likely venue. “As the next step, North Korea will mount the satellite inside the pairings at the top end of the projectile,” Kim said, adding that the launch date also depends on the “readiness of the delivery vehicle.”
Recent commercial satellite imagery shows that rapid construction is underway at the Sohae rocket launch facility in North Pyongan Province, North Korea’s only permanent test site for key rocket and space technologies. In addition to upgrading key facilities such as the existing launch pad, the Sohae station is currently undergoing significant expansion, including a new seaport, road and tunnel. On May 17, 38 North suggested that an additional launch pad is likely being built at the recently opened coastal construction site.
Kim Jong Un is working hard to fulfill his “five-point goals” wishlist
North Korea shot its first two earth observation satellites into orbit in 2012 and 2016, but neither was functional enough to transmit images. The UN Security Council imposed sanctions on the occasion of both launches.
Reconnaissance satellites are among the suite of advanced weapons systems dictator Kim Jong-Un has vowed to develop in January 2021 as part of his “five-point goals for the development of national defense capabilities.” In addition to satellites, these include intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with solid propellant, nuclear-powered submarines, and hypersonic as well as multi-warhead missiles. The military has already tested several prototypes in recent months, among them a first flight test of a solid-fuel ICBM in April.
North Korea has avoided new UN Security Council sanctions in 2022 and this year for its recent missile tests, as both Russia and China vetoed US efforts to increase pressure on Pyongyang. This underscores the rift between the council’s five permanent members – and, by extension, between the Western and Eastern fronts re-established by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Edited by Robert Lauler.
