North Korea: Kim Jong Un's sister promises ‘successful’ spy satellite launch after failure
Kim Yo Jong promises more spy satellite launches.
North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong on Thursday (June 1) promised more spy satellite launches, a day after Pyongyang launched one such satellite that crashed because of a rocket failure. In a statement carried by the KCNA, Yo Jong said it is certain that the military reconnaissance satellite will be correctly put into space orbit shortly and start its mission.
KCNA reported that the Chollima-1 rocket, carrying a military reconnaissance satellite known as "Malligyong-1", crashed into the sea. The state media also published on Thursday photographs of what is said was the new rocket lifting off from a coastal launch pad. The white-and-grey rocket had a bulbous nose, apparently for carrying a satellite or other cargo.
According to a report by the news agency Reuters, Ankit Panda from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the photographs confirmed that the rocket was a new design.
"The launch used the new coastal launch pad they've built at Tongchang-ri, so we might see a larger space launch vehicle use the traditional gantry that has seen some work recently," Panda said.
Following Wednesday's launch, US-based monitors reported that commercial satellite imagery showed significant activity at the main pad.
Kim Yo Jong on criticism of spy satellite launch
As the launch was criticised by many including Japan, South Korea, and the US Kim Yo Jong said on Thursday the criticisms were "self-contradiction" as the US and other countries have already launched "thousands of satellites."
"The US is a group of gangsters who would claim that even if the DPRK launches a satellite ...it is illegal and threatening," Yo Jong added.
Want closer cooperation with US, South Korea to deal with Pyongyang: Japan
Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Thursday told US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that he wanted closer cooperation with the US and South Korea to deal with North Korea after Wednesday's spy satellite launch failed.
During a meeting with Austin in Tokyo, Hamada said, "We need to strengthen ties between Japan and the US and also between Japan, the US and ROK (Republic of Korea), as it is possible that North Korea launches again."
Austin, meanwhile, told the Japanese defence minister that he wanted to bolster cooperation between their alliance, South Korea and Australia, as they also face challenges posed by China and Russia, Reuters reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
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