North Korea announces launch of new satellites

(Patria) - North Korea is determined to launch more spy satellites in the near future to gather information on the military activities of its enemies, according to a commentary by the state news agency KCNA on Saturday, Reuters reports.

The satellites will be modeled after the Malligyong-1 satellite, which Pyongyang launched in November, and which the governments of the United States, South Korea, and Japan said violated UN Security Council resolutions.

"If necessary, it will perfectly perform the job of our guidance and direction towards a super powerful strike," the anonymous commentary stated, justifying space development as a right to self-defense.

The national security advisors of the US, South Korea, and Japan will hold a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Saturday to discuss North Korea and other global issues.

In a separate article for KCNA, Ro Ju Hyon, described by the agency as an international relations analyst, criticized South Korea for its "reckless military aid to Ukraine".

He cited a Washington Post article from earlier this week stating that South Korea had indirectly supplied 155mm shells and that it was "a larger supplier of artillery ammunition to Ukraine than all European countries combined".

"This is a top-notch pro-American act that even the West, steeped in anti-Russian policy, is overshadowed by," Ro said.

South Korea, Japan, and the US have criticized North Korea for its ties with Russia, claiming that Pyongyang is providing arms support to Moscow in exchange for help in advancing its military capabilities.

Last month, White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said the US had information indicating that North Korea was secretly supplying Russia with a "significant" number of artillery shells for its war in Ukraine.