Pyongyang, North Korea today said that a launch a day earlier, which South Korea and Japan characterized as a ballistic missile launch, was actually part of the development of a “reconnaissance satellite,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

“The DPRK National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) and the Academy of Defence Science conducted an important test under the plan of developing a reconnaissance satellite,” KCNA said today.

The test helped the two bodies “confirm the characteristics and working accuracy of high definition photographing system, data transmission system and attitude control devices,” according to the agency.

Reconnaissance satellites are primarily used for military purposes. North Korea did not provide any details about the projectile used to transport the cameras, while South Korea and Japan had identified it as a ballistic missile.

UN resolutions prohibit North Korea, a self-declared nuclear power, from testing ballistic missiles, some of which can carry a nuclear warhead.

Source: Oman News Agency