Kim Jong-un made his sister step up.

After Seoul taunted over the quality of images from a spy satellite developed by North Korea, Kim Yo Jong argued on Tuesday that Pyongyang had indeed developed advanced technologies for capturing images from space.

North Korea announced on Monday that it had conducted an "important test" as part of the "final phase" of the development of a spy satellite.

But in Seoul, experts immediately cast doubt on the North Korean assertions, saying that the quality of the images, supposed to have been taken from the satellite, was too poor.



In a lengthy vitriolic statement released by state news agency KCNA, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea's Number 1, retorted that it was "inappropriate and reckless" to assess, based on these two images in black and white, Pyongyang's progress and ability in developing satellites.

"We conducted a necessary trial and reported (this) significant and pleasing result," she said.

She insisted that a camera installed on the satellite had “the reliability of ground control (…) in a suitable spaceflight environment”.

It also found the data transmission devices to be reliable.

key project

The development of a reconnaissance satellite was among Pyongyang's key defense projects unveiled last year by Kim Jong-un.

Experts believe that the development of such a spy satellite could serve as a cover for Pyongyang to test intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which largely share the same technology.

“If we develop ICBMs, we will fire ICBMs and we will not test long-range rockets camouflaged (with) satellites,” refuted Kim Yo Jong.

This weekend's launch came after a year marked by a record slew of weapons tests by Pyongyang, including its most advanced ICBM in November.

Washington and Seoul have been warning for several months that Pyongyang could be preparing what would be its seventh nuclear test, the first in five years.

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