In a significant development, North Korea announced on Wednesday that it had successfully placed a military spy satellite, named 'Malligyong-1,' into orbit, marking a notable achievement after two previous failed attempts. The rocket carrying the satellite was launched from North Phyongan province on Tuesday night, as reported by the state-run news agency KCNA.
Images circulated in state media depicted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un celebrating the success alongside jubilant scientists and engineers. The launch was met with condemnation from the United States, which led its allies in denouncing the move as a "brazen violation" of UN sanctions. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also criticized the action.
The United States expressed concern that the launch could destabilize the region and emphasized the breach of UN sanctions. In response, South Korea took measures by partially suspending a 2018 military deal aimed at reducing military tensions, announcing a resumption of surveillance operations along the border with North Korea.
As North Korea had ceased responding to military communication lines earlier this year, South Korea opted to make announcements through its defense ministry rather than direct notifications to Pyongyang, according to a government spokesperson.
North Korea's previous attempts to launch a spy satellite in May and August had both ended in failure, despite warnings from Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington. UN resolutions prohibit Pyongyang from conducting tests involving ballistic technology.
Experts suggested that there is a technological overlap between space launch rockets and ballistic missiles, but they serve different purposes. North Korea's ambitions for a spy satellite were met with warnings, with South Korea's spy agency suggesting that the country had received technical advice from Russia in exchange for weapons shipments to support Moscow's involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
KCNA defended the satellite launch, asserting that it was North Korea's "legitimate right" to enhance its surveillance capabilities amid perceived threats from South Korea and the United States. The news agency indicated that more satellite launches were planned in the near future to further strengthen North Korea's surveillance capabilities over South Korea.
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