North Korea hails 'significant' test in satellite development
North Korea has hailed as "great significant" a test of for developing a reconnaissance satellite, state media reported Monday, a day after Seoul said it had detected a ballistic missile launch.
The test, which took place on Sunday, "is of great significance in developing the reconnaissance satellite," the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a report.
It said the test helped confirm the working accuracy of a high-definition photographing system, data transmission system and altitude control devices by "conducting vertical and oblique photographing of a specific area on Earth with cameras to be loaded on the reconnaissance satellite."
Pyongyang's Rodong Sinmun newspaper published two photographs on Monday that appeared to show the Korean peninsula as seen from the space.
The country had released similar photos after a missile launch in January, which showed a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile with a camera fitted in its nose cone.
Pyongyang was on Sunday accused by South Korea and Japan of launching a ballistic missile, who claimed that the ballistic missile was fired into the sea off the east coast of South Korea.
South Korea's joint chiefs of staff in a statement said the rocket flew to a maximum altitude of around 620km and a range of about 300km.
North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has listed the military reconnaissance satellite along with hypersonic weapons among the key defense projects of the sanctions-battered country.
Last year, he emphasized the importance of developing the country's military reconnaissance satellites and military detection capabilities.
North Korea has in the past successfully placed at least two satellites in orbit, the last one in 2016.
Kim's government has been accused by the Western powers of bringing up satellite tests as a cover for testing banned intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), as long-range rockets share the same technology.
Pyongyang has strongly rejected the allegations.
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