SENIOR NORTH KOREAN OFFICIAL KIM YO JONG ANNOUNCES UPCOMING MILITARY RECONNAISSANCE SATELLITE LAUNCH
On Thursday local time, senior North Korean official Kim Yo Jong announced that North Korea will soon launch a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit. This comes just a day after Wednesday’s failed rocket launch, in which the second stage of the rocket malfunctioned and crashed into the West Sea.
KIM YO JONG DEFENDS RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE
In a statement released by state news agency KCNA, Kim Yo Jong defended North Korea’s right to self-defense and criticized other countries for condemning the launch. She specifically called out the US and other nations with thousands of satellites in orbit, referring to them as a « group of gangsters. »
NORTH KOREA TO BOLSTER WAR DETERRENCE
The KCNA statement also emphasized North Korea’s commitment to enhancing its military capabilities in order to strengthen its « war deterrence in all-inclusive direction. » The statement noted the protracted confrontation with the US and North Korea’s determination to protect its sovereign rights.
NORTH KOREA VOWS TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST US
In addition to defending the failed launch and announcing the upcoming satellite launch, the KCNA statement made clear that North Korea will « never remain an onlooker » to any US actions that infringe upon its sovereign rights. The statement did not specify what actions North Korea might take in response.
SOUTH KOREA IDENTIFIES OBJECT IN SEA
South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that it identified an object in the sea that is presumed to be part of North Korea’s space launch vehicle. A team is currently in the process of retrieving the object, which is located about 200 kilometers west of Eocheong Island.
With tensions between North Korea and the US already high, this latest announcement adds another layer of complexity to an already tense situation. The announcement of the upcoming satellite launch, combined with Kim Yo Jong’s defense of North Korea’s right to self-defense, is likely to cause further concern among US leaders and their allies.
Keywords: North Korea, satellite launch, Kim Yo Jong, self-defense, war deterrence, US, South Korea.
