North Korea announced on Tuesday that it had successfully placed a military surveillance satellite into orbit, challenging United Nations resolutions prohibiting the use of ballistic missile technologies. The move was strongly condemned by the United States and Japan.
The rocket, launched on Tuesday night, followed the planned trajectory and “successfully placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit,” reported the North Korean official news agency, KCNA.
Earlier, the South Korean military announced that it had “detected a presumed military surveillance satellite at 13:43 GMT.”
KCNA stated after the mission that North Korea plans to launch additional satellites “in the near future” to enhance its surveillance capabilities over South Korea.
“The launch of a reconnaissance satellite is a legitimate right of the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to strengthen its self-defense capabilities,” emphasized the statement.
South Korea responded to the launch by declaring a resumption of surveillance operations along the border with North Korea, which had been suspended in 2018 as part of an agreement to reduce military tensions, according to the Yonhap news agency.
The South Korean army’s General Staff stated that it could not confirm at the moment whether the satellite was successfully placed in orbit.
“This launch constitutes a provocation that violates UN Security Council resolutions,” added a statement.
Both Japan and the United States condemned the launch.
“Even if they call it a satellite, the launch of an object using ballistic missile technology is clearly a violation of United Nations resolutions,” emphasized Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The launch “escalates tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond,” stated Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the US National Security Council.
North Korea had previously informed Japan of its intention to launch a satellite starting on Wednesday, according to Tokyo, marking a third attempt after failures in May and August.
Despite international sanctions and warnings from the United States and its allies, North Korea conducted a record number of missile tests this year, declaring its status as a nuclear power “irreversible.” The growing military ties between North Korea and Russia, highlighted by Seoul, have raised concerns among the United States, South Korea, and Japan. In early November, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced the “growing and dangerous” military links between North Korea and Russia.