North Korea said Sunday’s test was part of a reconnaissance satellite. Pyongyang called the test “very significant,” but did not specify what rockets were involved.
South Korea’s military said a projectile, believed to be a ballistic missile, was fired Sunday with a flight range of 300 kilometers and a maximum altitude of 620 kilometers. The missile left the Sunan region of North Korea and landed in waters off the east coast of the Korean peninsula.
North Korea’s news agency on Monday (28/2) said the “important test” carried out “vertical and oblique shooting of a specific area on the ground with a camera to be loaded on a satellite.” They also “confirmed the characteristics of high-resolution camera systems, data transmission systems and control devices and the accuracy of their performance.”
The two photos released after the launch included a satellite image of the Korean peninsula. North Korea said the test was carried out by the National Aerospace Development Administration and the North Korean Academy of Scientific Defense.
On Sunday (27/2), the US Indo-Pacific Command called on Pyongyang to “stop taking actions that will further destabilize regional security.” The command said it was consulting closely with South Korea, Japan and other partners in the region. [vm/rs]