North Korea conducts second 'important' spy satellite test

North Korea carried out a record number of weapon tests in a short span of time this year. The latest test, according to state media, was the second test for its spy satellite.

According to North Korean state media KCNA, Pyongyang carried out another test for its reconnaissance satellite systems, marking the second test of such a system in a week and the ninth missile test this year. The test took place over the weekend, a day after authorities in the region reported another launch of a ballistic missile coming from Pyongyang.

KCNA went on to report that the nation’s National Aerospace Development Administration, in coordination with the Academy of Defense Science, carried out the latest launch. The launch is “under the plan of developing a reconnaissance satellite.”

“Through the test, the NADA confirmed the reliability of data transmission and reception system of the satellite, its control command system, and various ground-based control systems,” said the outlet.

The latest test was criticized by the US, South Korea, and Japan, along with concerns that North Korea is gearing up for a major weapons test in a matter of months. They suspect that North Korea’s satellite test launches are actually tests of its ballistic missile technology. The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution banning North Korea from conducting such tests.

Much like the first test that occurred on February 27, the news outlet did not disclose any other specific details, such as the kind of rocket that was used. However, South Korean authorities said it appeared to be a ballistic missile that was fired from an area close to the North Korean capital where the international airport is located.

The timing of the test launch also comes as South Korea is gearing up for its presidential election. South Korea’s government has condemned the launch, describing the incidents as an “unprecedented repeated firing of ballistic missiles,” which undermines peace in the Korean peninsula and the international community.

According to North Korean studies scholar Ahn Chan-il, it appears that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un feels that outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in “did not do much” when the summit between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump in Hanoi fell through. Ahn went on to explain that Pyongyang has “decided to prioritize their own military agenda regardless of what South Korea thinks.”