Russians help North Korea launch reconnaissance satellites - Yonhap
DPRK prepares a new satellite launch, but both the launch vehicle and the satellite have problems
North Korea has engaged a large number of Russian experts to launch its reconnaissance satellites. As a result, Pyongyang has to conduct more tests of rocket engines than previously expected.
Source. This was reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap with reference to a knowledgeable source in military circles.
The source said that Russian engineers arrived in North Korea after Russian dictator Vladimir Putin promised to support North Korea's satellite programme last year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Putin last September at a cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, where the Russian leader promised to help North Korea in the space sector.
North Korea is reportedly preparing a new satellite launch, but both the launch vehicle and the satellite are experiencing problems. Tests are currently underway, during which experts are trying to fix problems with the second and third stages.
Last November, North Korea launched the Manryong-1 satellite after two failed attempts in May and August. South Korean Defence Minister Shin Wonsik said in February that the satellite was probably not functioning normally, despite being in orbit.
South Korea, the United States and other countries have condemned North Korea's space rocket launches, calling them a violation of UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit Pyongyang from conducting any launches using ballistic technology.
According to experts, the DPRK authorities' priority is the ballistic missile programme, i.e. the delivery of nuclear weapons. Satellite launches are needed to demonstrate the capabilities of launch vehicles and for internal propaganda.
To recap, North Korea has informed Japan that it plans to launch a second spy satellite by 4 June.
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