South Korea criticized for satellite launch, North Korea says they’re “hysterically mad”
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un acknowledged the failure of the military reconnaissance satellite launch just one day after the attempt. Instead of blaming the failure, he urged officials not to give up or be discouraged, stating that they should learn more and develop further through failures.
According to North Korean state media Chosun Central News Agency on the 29th, Kim Jong Un emphasized during his speech at the 60th anniversary event of the National Defense Science Institute on the 28th that while the reconnaissance satellite launch did not achieve its intended results, they should not shrink from failure but strive even harder to learn from it and advance further.
Kim stated that failure is a prerequisite for success, especially for scientists and technicians dedicated to defending the dignity of the country and the people’s lives. He stressed the importance of possessing space reconnaissance capabilities for national defense and sovereignty, emphasizing that it is an essential task for safeguarding national sovereignty and legitimate self-defense.
Kim expressed confidence that with a warmongering scientific and technological base possessed by those with patriotic spirit and heroic fighting spirit, the struggle to maintain space reconnaissance capabilities essential for safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity will undoubtedly succeed, and their progress will never be stagnant.
On the 28th, it was reported that North Korea attempted to launch the military reconnaissance satellite Mangyongbong-1-1 on the night of the 27th, but the new satellite-carrying rocket exploded mid-flight during the first stage, leading to the launch failure due to an issue with the reliability of the newly developed liquid oxygen + petroleum engine.
Kim Jong Un emphasized that the reconnaissance satellite launch was conducted in accordance with international norms and did not pose a safety issue to neighboring countries. He claimed that they had guaranteed transparency in the satellite launch and respected and adhered to international regulations to ensure the safety of all vessels and aircraft in the relevant area and to prevent any impact on the safety of neighboring countries.
Kim criticized South Korea for its hysterical madness, accusing them of challenging North Korea directly through military parades, aerial displays, and missile exercises, which he considered an unacceptable provocation and a clear violation of national sovereignty. He stressed the need for resolute military retaliation to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity against provocations that threatened their legitimate exercise of sovereignty.
Kim emphasized the need to achieve key tasks in the military field, such as solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), nuclear submarines, submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, and military reconnaissance satellites presented at the 8th Party Congress in January 2021.
The launch attempt of the satellite by North Korea comes six months after the successful launch of the Mangyongbong-1 in November last year. However, considering that the failure of this launch was due to issues with the new launch vehicle, propulsion system, and fuel change, it may not be easy for Kim Jong Un’s plan to launch three reconnaissance satellites this year to materialize after undergoing multiple related tests.
In a report on December 31 last year, it was stated that based on the successful launch and operation of the first reconnaissance satellite in 2023 in the space development sector, North Korea was tasked with launching an additional three reconnaissance satellites in 2024 to drive the advancement of space science and technology on a national level.