North Korea's Sunday Test Related to Development of Reconnaissance Satellite - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Pyongyang says its Sunday test was part of the development of a reconnaissance satellite, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports.

North Korea tested two ballistic missiles on Sunday morning, both of them covered a distance of 500 kilometers (310 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 550 kilometers (341 miles), according to Japanese State Minister of Defense Toshiro Ino.

Yonhap reported on Monday that the launches were an "important final-stage" test for the development of a reconnaissance satellite.

Conducted at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in North Pyongan Province, the test was meant to "evaluate the capabilities of satellite photography and data transmission system and ground control system," Yonhap said citing the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The launches involved a "test-piece satellite," a National Aerospace Development Administration spokesperson said as quoted by Yonhap, adding that Pyongyang plans to "finish the preparations for the first military reconnaissance satellite by April, 2023."

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on Sunday that Pyongyang test-fired two medium-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, with both of them covering a distance of some 500 kilometers.

According to Japanese media reports, both of the missiles landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone. Japan has expressed protest to Pyongyang over diplomatic channels in connection with the test launches.

North Korea has already fired dozens of missiles toward South Korea since the start of 2022, including an intercontinental ballistic missile test-launch carried out in November.