Kim Yo-yong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and an influential official, stressed that her country’s first military reconnaissance satellite will be put into orbit soon, adding that efforts to strengthen the armed forces’ means of surveillance must be intensified.

The country’s “enemies” are “fearful” because Pyongyang will acquire “excellent reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering means, including a reconnaissance satellite,” he said, adding that “we are aware of the fact that we need to make greater efforts to acquire reconnaissance means,” according to with North Korea’s official KCNA news agency.

Her statements follow North Korea’s failed attempt to put a satellite into orbit on Wednesday.

Mrs. Kim rejected criticism at the international level for her country’s attempt to acquire a military reconnaissance satellite, judging that those who carry out these “argue and contradict”, as she reminded the US and other states have “thousands of satellites”.