Did North Korea successfully place a spy satellite in orbit?
North Korea announced that it has successfully placed its first spy satellite in orbit. This action was condemned by United States authorities who viewed the launch as an escalation.
10:26 AM EST, November 22, 2023
Kim Jong Un watched the rocket launch, as reported by KCNA. Concurrently, it was announced that North Korea anticipates launching additional satellites. However, officials from South Korea and Japan, who said the rocket launch first, cannot confirm whether the satellite has been placed in orbit, according to Reuters.
North Korea informed Japan of its intention to launch a space satellite aimed toward the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea between November 22 and December 1. Unfortunately, the prior two attempts were unsuccessful.
Reuters reported that Tuesday's attempt was the first since a September meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the meeting, Putin pledged to assist Kim in constructing satellites.
South Korean officials suggest that Russia provided technical assistance for this recent attempt. Seen as part of a building alliance, North Korea intends to send Russia millions of artillery shells.
Additionally, US authorities strongly criticized North Korea's rocket space launch, which utilized ballistic technology. Adrienne Watson, the spokesperson for the US National Security Council, characterized the launch as a "flagrant breach of several UN Security Council resolutions." She claimed that it "heightens tensions and threatens to destabilize security in the region and beyond."
