North Korea carried out a test for developing a reconnaissance satellite system on Sunday, state-run media reported Monday following what its neighboring countries described as a ballistic missile launch toward the Sea of Japan.
The latest test of what appears to be military equipment suggests that North Korea plans to take advantage of the United States' focus on Russia's invasion of Ukraine to develop its weapons capability, some foreign affairs experts said.
Tokyo said North Korea's missile on Sunday fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone after flying about 300 kilometers and reaching an altitude of roughly 600 km.
Pyongyang has fired projectiles eight times this year. But during the 17-day Beijing Winter Olympics through Feb. 20, North Korea refrained from testing weapons in apparent consideration of China, its close ally in security and economic terms.
North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration and Academy of Defense Science staged an "important test on Sunday under the plan of developing a reconnaissance satellite," the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
Pyongyang confirmed the "characteristics and working accuracy of high definition photographing system, data transmission system and attitude control devices by conducting vertical and oblique photographing of a specific area on earth with cameras," KCNA said.
At the congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in January 2021, leader Kim Jong Un pledged that Pyongyang would secure reconnaissance and information gathering abilities with the operation of satellite systems.
North Korea launched what it called an earth-observation satellite on a carrier rocket in 2012 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the nation's late founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, although the launch ended in failure.
The United Nations bans North Korea from launching long-range ballistic missiles carrying warheads and rockets capable of delivering satellites using similar technology.
In January, North Korea hinted at resuming nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, saying it may restart all "activities" that it had temporarily suspended to build trust with former U.S. President Donald Trump, the predecessor of the incumbent Joe Biden.
There is speculation that North Korea might fire an ICBM on the 110th birthday of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un's grandfather.
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