“DESTROY” US SPY SATELLITES
The nuclear-armed North’s launch drew international condemnation which the North Korean leader’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, called “absurd”, declaring that her country would never relinquish its space programme.
North Korea is barred by successive rounds of UN resolutions from tests using ballistic technology, and analysts say there is significant technological overlap between space launch capabilities and the development of ballistic missiles.
On Saturday, Pyongyang threatened to “destroy” US spy satellites if Washington “tries to violate the legitimate territory” of North Korea, referring to its satellite programme.
If the United States attempts to breach its space rights “by weaponizing the latest technologies illegally and unjustly”, said a spokesperson of the North’s defence ministry in a statement carried by state-run KCNA, “the DPRK will consider taking responsive action measures for self-defence to undermine or destroy the viability of the US spy satellites”.
Experts have said putting a working reconnaissance satellite into orbit would improve North Korea’s intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, and provide crucial data in any military conflict.
Since last week’s launch, the North has claimed its new satellite has already provided images of major US and South Korean military sites.
It has not yet disclosed any of the satellite imagery it claims to possess.
The North’s launch of “Malligyong-1” was Pyongyang’s third attempt at putting such a satellite in orbit, after two failures in May and August.
Seoul has said the North received technical help from Moscow, in return for supplying weapons for use in Russia’s war with Ukraine.