SEOUL (dpa-AFX) – One day after its rocket launch, North Korea spoke of an important test for the development of an earth observation satellite. During the test on Sunday, cameras for high-resolution images from space were tested, the state media of the country, which is heavily isolated due to its nuclear weapons program, reported on Monday. The cameras are to be mounted on a planned reconnaissance satellite. Such satellites are primarily used for military purposes.
While North Korea did not provide any information on the missile used to transport the cameras, South Korea and Japan had assumed that a ballistic missile would be tested again. UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing such missiles, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead. According to the South Korean military, the missile flew about 300 kilometers at an altitude of up to 620 kilometers before it crashed into the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea). North Korea had tested missiles several times since the beginning of the year.
Experts now expect that North Korea could soon launch a rocket, possibly to launch a satellite into space. At a congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in early 2021, North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong Un called for the introduction of spy satellites and reconnaissance drones, among other armament projects.
North Korea’s media have now published images of the Korean Peninsula, which the tested camera system is said to have taken from space. The test therefore confirmed the “properties and working accuracy” of the system. “The test is of great importance for the development of the reconnaissance satellite,” it said./dg/DP/zb