North Korea has informed Japan it plans to launch a military satellite in the coming days, less than three months after its first effort ended in failure when the satellite crashed into the sea. In May, Pyongyang launched what it described as its first military reconnaissance satellite but the new “Chollima-1” satellite launch rocket ended in failure. Japan, the US and South Korea condemned the launch as a breach of United Nations resolutions prohibiting the nuclear-armed state from using ballistic missile technology. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made the development of a military spy satellite a priority of his military modernisation plan. South Korea salvaged the debris from the May 31 launch in an operation involving a fleet of naval rescue ships, mine sweepers and deep-sea divers.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 22, 2023 12:46 UTC