The Albany Gazette - NKorea claims another test for developing reconnaissance satellite

The test was carried out on Saturday, the state news agency KCNA said in a two-paragraph report that came just days before presidential elections in South Korea.

South Korea's military has already said it believed this last test was actually the firing of another ballistic missile by the North, the latest in a flurry of weapons tests this year.

"The DPRK National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) and the Academy of Defence Science conducted another important test on Saturday under the plan of developing a reconnaissance satellite," KCNA said in its English language report on Sunday.

DPRK stands for the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"Through the test, the NADA confirmed the reliability of data transmission and reception system of the satellite, its control command system and various ground-based control systems," KCNA said.

From hypersonic to medium-range ballistic missiles, Pyongyang test-fired a string of weaponry in January and last week launched what it claimed was a component of a "reconnaissance satellite" -- although Seoul described it as another ballistic missile.

Despite biting international sanctions over its nuclear weapons, Pyongyang has ignored US offers of talks since high-profile negotiations between leader Kim Jong Un and then-US president Donald Trump collapsed in 2019.

Instead of diplomacy, Pyongyang has doubled down on Kim's drive to modernise its military, warning in January that it could abandon a self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range missiles and nuclear weapons.

(U.Gruber--BBZ)