Kim’s sister says doubt on spy satellite are 'dog-barking'

Seoul, December 20

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday dismissed as “malicious disparaging” and “dog-barking” the outside assessments that cast doubt on its developmental spy satellite and other military capabilities.

North Korea earlier claimed its rocket launches on Sunday were tests of its first military reconnaissance satellite and on Monday its state media released two low-resolution photos of South Korean cities as viewed from space.

Some civilian experts in South Korea and elsewhere said the photos were too crude for a surveillance purpose and that the launches were likely a cover for North Korea’s missile technology. South Korea’s military maintained North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles.

“Didn’t they think their assessments are too inappropriate and careless as they commented on our satellite development capability and related preparations only with two photos that we’ve published in our newspaper” Kim Yo Jong, a senior Workers’ Party official, said in a statement carried in state media.

She called South Korean experts’ comments on the satellite photos “nonsensical,” “malicious disparaging” and “dog-barking.”

Kim Yo Jong said the test satellite launched carried a commercial camera because there was no reason to use an expensive, high-resolution camera for a one-time test. She said North Korea used two outdated missiles as space launch vehicles — one for a test of tracking and receiving signals and the other for taking satellite photos and other tests.

“If we want to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, we just fire it. We don’t use a satellite to carry out a disguised test of a long-range missile test as South Korean puppets claim to sway public opinions,” Kim Yo Jong said.