North Korean government agencies conducted commemorative lectures following the country’s recent third and successful launch of a military spy satellite. The lectures extolled the leadership of the country’s supreme leader and called on all government agencies to hasten the accomplishment of goals set forth by the Workers’ Party of Korea just as the space sector had done.
Speaking on condition of anonymity on Dec. 5, a source in North Korea said lectures to celebrate the successful launch of the Malligyong-1 spy satellite were held at provincial party committees, the Ministry of State Security, Ministry of Social Security, and other agencies from Nov. 23 to 25.
In the case of the Ministry of State Security, three lectures were held at the ministry’s headquarters in the Ryonmot-dong neighborhood of Sosong District, Pyongyang. Officials who attended the lectures received three-page documents that were collected immediately after the lecture ended.
The document’s introduction praised the nation’s supreme leader, saying that North Korea “had become a global space power thanks to the excellent leadership of Comrade General-Secretary Kim Jong Un.”
The document then praised the “accomplishment of yet another task from the five-year plan to develop defense science and weapon systems presented during the Eighth Party Congress of January 2021.”
At the time, North Korea ordered the development of miniaturized nuclear weapons and tactical nuclear weapons; the production of super-large nuclear warheads; the improvement of accuracy rates for strikes within a range of 15,000 kilometers; the development and adoption of hypersonic weapons; the creation of land-launched and sea-launched solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles; the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines and sea-launched nuclear strategic weapons; the operation of military spy satellites; and the development of reconnaissance drones.
According to the lecture materials, the country attained one of the goals of the Workers’ Party “due to the sincerity of space development scientists and technicians,” indicating that even the commemorative lectures held for the benefit of government employees praised the hard work done by scientists and technicians in the space development sector.
Daily NK reported in November that the North Korean leadership congratulated the National Aerospace Technology Administration’s scientists immediately following the third and successful satellite launch.
Kim Jong Un reportedly praised the “loyalty” of the scientists who — out of “conviction” — proposed that the launch be delayed until after October, despite the authorities’ public declaration that they would attempt another launch in October.
Officials complain of nonstop government demands for more money
The recent lectures in Pyongyang urged all agencies and workplaces to ramp up efforts for the year-end review, just like the scientists and technicians who “accomplished the will of the Workers’ Party.”
Officials who attended the lectures complained that they might be tasked with contributing more party funds, even as they took pride in the government’s launch of the spy satellite.
“Officials lamented that each agency worked hard to gather party funds to develop strategic weapons, and now they must earn dollars to conquer space, too,” the source said.
Asked if the lectures mentioned Kim’s family members like his wife, Ri Sol Ju, or his children, the source answered, “No, not at all.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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