North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Inspects Military Satellite Station -KCNA

Reuters

11:28 JST, May 17, 2023

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a military satellite station on Tuesday, state media KCNA reported.

The report also said Kim has approved the next steps of the plan by the non-permanent satellite-launching preparatory committee, a group dedicated to launching North Korea’s first military intelligence satellite.

KCNA did not elaborate when the launch is scheduled for.

Kim said successfully launching the military reconnaissance satellite is an “urgent requirement of the prevailing security environment of the country,” according to the report.

Earlier this year, KCNA reported Pyongyang had completed building its first military spy satellite and that Kim had urged final preparations for the launch to speed up.

Activity at the launch pad area at North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launching Station has resumed after nearly a half-year hiatus, 38 North, a U.S.-based North Korea monitoring project, reported this week, citing recent satellite imagery.

The 38 North report, however, added much remains to be done for a satellite launch to be undertaken.