North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the launch of the country’s first spy satellite, the construction of which has just been completed, North Korea’s official KCNA news agency reported today.

During his visit to the country’s space agency, Kim demanded that “the first military reconnaissance spy satellite, which was completed in April, be launched on the predetermined date.”

Kim, who inspected North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration with his daughter, did not elaborate on the date of the launch. Addressing the agency’s staff, he called for the deployment of “many reconnaissance satellites in various orbits.”

Acquiring military reconnaissance technology is a “core goal” of North Korea, Kim stressed, in order, as he explained, to counter the threats and aggression of Seoul and Washington.

The remarks came days after Pyongyang announced it had successfully test-fired a new solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a major development for the country’s weapons program.

In December 2020, North Korea indicated that it had conducted “a final, significant test” of its deployment of a spy satellite. These claims were immediately disputed by experts.

The development of a spy satellite was one of the key plans of North Korea’s defense program, which Kim unveiled in 2021.

“It seems that North Korea will launch its satellite, which remains ‘symbolic’, and gradually improve it,” said Ahn Chan-il, director of the Global Institute for North Korean Studies.

“If China and Russia do not offer it technological support, it will be difficult for North Korea to conduct espionage activities with its own equipment,” he estimated.