According to local media reports on Saturday, North Korea plans to launch three more spy satellites in 2024, which will join the one that was launched in November this year, the Malligyong-1. The new satellites will increase the country’s military and surveillance capabilities over other nations.
The plan was announced during the plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party Central Committee last week, where Kim Jong-un outlined the goals and directions for the next year. The plan shows that the country is continuing to pursue its nuclear and military development, after it was announced that a new North Korean nuclear reactor will start operations during summer.
The state-run KCNA network reported that North Korea had successfully launched and operated its first spy satellite in 2023, and that it had discussed measures to boost its space science technology for launching three more spy satellites in 2024.
On November 21, North Korea confirmed that it had placed a satellite in orbit, after two previous failures. The country said that the satellite would help its military readiness in response to Western military activities. The country also claimed that the satellite had taken pictures of some areas of interest in Guam, a US territory in the Pacific, but did not release the images.
The UN expressed concern over the launch of spy satellites by North Korea, saying that it posed significant risks to civil aviation, international maritime transportation, and global security, especially when the country was increasing its nuclear rhetoric.
The UN officials said that North Korea was violating the Security Council resolutions by pursuing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
The White House, which is one of the main targets of North Korea, also criticized the launch, calling it a clear violation of the sanctions imposed by the international community and a source of instability in the region. The National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said that the launch increased tensions and endangered the security situation in the region and beyond.
During the meeting last week, Kim Jong-un also rejected any possibility of reconciliation and unification with South Korea, saying that Seoul regarded North Korea as its primary enemy. He said that it was a mistake to consider those who called them their primary enemy for reconciliation and unification.
The relations with South Korea remain tense, and recently, Kim Jong-un ordered the military, ammunition industry, and nuclear armament sector to speed up their war preparations in response to what he called unprecedented confrontation movements from the US and South Korea, which are trying to improve their joint response to the frequent threats from North Korea.
