[Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club] Three Russian Satellite Technologies North Korea Needs

North Korea-Russia Summit Held at Space Base After 4 Years and 5 Months
Launch Vehicle, Satellite, and Reentry Technologies Needed for North Korean Satellite Launch

A summit between North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place on the 13th (local time) at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russian Far East, marking the first meeting in 4 years and 5 months.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to TASS and RIA Novosti news agencies, President Putin arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the venue for the North Korea-Russia summit, around 12:30 p.m. local time that day.

In footage broadcast on the Russian news channel Rossiya 24, President Putin was seen walking with Chairman Kim before the talks, introducing the facilities within the base, while Chairman Kim also signed the guestbook.

When asked by the media whether Russia would assist North Korea in satellite development, President Putin said, "That is why we came here," adding, "Chairman Kim has shown great interest in rocket technology. They are striving to develop their excellent programs." Regarding discussions on military and technical cooperation with North Korea, he said, "We will not rush and will discuss all issues."

The technology North Korea is interested in from Russia is military reconnaissance satellites. North Korea attempted a second military reconnaissance satellite launch in August but failed. This was the second failure following the attempt on May 31.

To make up for this, North Korea has announced a third reconnaissance satellite launch attempt scheduled for October. Observers and experts monitoring North Korea speculate that North Korea might attempt another reconnaissance satellite launch around October 10, the 78th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.

If North Korea receives satellite-related technology from Russia this time, it is expected to be related to satellite and launch vehicle technologies, according to military insiders and experts.

For reconnaissance via satellite, the satellite must be positioned in low Earth orbit, which is technically challenging for North Korea. In particular, there have been questions about their ability to receive data transmitted from the satellite. The quality of satellite images is a sensitive issue for North Korea.

When some experts evaluated photos of downtown Seoul and Incheon Port, which North Korea publicly released last December claiming they were taken by a reconnaissance satellite test model, as "poor quality," Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the Workers' Party, issued a statement directly rebutting, saying, "Who would install an expensive high-resolution camera for a one-time test?"

Analysts also suggest that North Korea's consecutive failures in space launch vehicle launches fundamentally stem from incomplete intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) manufacturing technology. North Korea refers to launch vehicles carrying satellites using ICBM technology as space launch vehicles. If the same launch vehicle carries a nuclear warhead, it becomes an ICBM. The Soviet Union's R-7, which launched humanity's first artificial satellite Sputnik 1 in 1957, was originally an ICBM, and the Titan and Atlas rockets used by the United States for space development are also ICBMs.

Transfer of atmospheric reentry technology also appears necessary. In December last year, Kim Yo-jong mentioned ICBM atmospheric reentry technology, stating, "You will soon see," indicating that North Korea would soon conduct a normal-angle ICBM launch. She was the first to mention that North Korea has secured the atmospheric reentry technology, the final stage of ICBM technology, and issued explicit threats toward South Korea and the United States. However, there remains considerable skepticism about whether North Korea has actually secured the warhead atmospheric reentry technology necessary to complete the ICBM.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.