Kim Jong Un Confirms Spy Satellite Launch Amid 'Increasingly Reckless Aggression' From US

A day after notifying Japan, North Korea has confirmed that Kim Jong Un is gearing up to launch the isolated nation's first military spy satellite into orbit.

What Happened: The North Korean state media confirmed Pyongyang's plans to launch its first spy satellite in early June and blamed it on U.S.-South Korea's "reckless aggression."

State-owned KCNA said the "self-defense strengthening stand" was announced amid "growing military tension on the Korean peninsula and in the region due to the anti-DPRK military aggression of the United States and South Korea, which are increasingly reckless in aggression."

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"In this exercise, which will be continued until the middle of next month for the purpose of literally ‘destroying’ the belligerent, various types of offensive armed equipment of the U.S. forces and puppet forces stationed in South Korea will be mobilized."

On Sunday, North Korea notified Japan of its plan to establish a maritime danger zone as it plans a satellite launch between May 31 and June 11. Pyongyang, earlier this year, said that it completed building its first military spy satellite and that final preparations to launch the satellite were underway. 

Kim also recently inspected a non-permanent committee responsible for preparing for the launch of a military reconnaissance satellite and approved its "future action plan."

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Why It Matters: Pyongyang’s relations with Washington and its Asian allies continue to remain tense. Late last week, South Korea carried out its largest-ever live-fire exercises with the U.S., prompting a sharp response from North Korea.

The satellite launch is part of a strategy to enhance and modernize North Korea's military capabilities; the supreme leader has highlighted a military reconnaissance satellite as a crucial defense project in a plan outlined in 2021.

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