Is North Korea about to launch a satellite?

According to analysis by American experts, North Korea may be preparing to launch a long-range missile on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, which is October 10th.

The latest satellite images show that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has just completed an upgrade to its main satellite launch site, fueling speculation that the country may be preparing for a long-range missile launch.

The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University announced today (July 29) that analysis of satellite imagery shows that the upgrade of the Sohae satellite launch center began this spring and has just been completed. According to this analysis, North Korea may be preparing to launch a long-range missile on October 10th, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.

North Korea has launched satellites in previous years. Photo: Reuters.

Last week, South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing a reliable intelligence source, reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally ordered the launch of a satellite for this momentous occasion.

In a rare press conference yesterday (July 28), North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Jang Il-hun did not rule out the possibility of a test in October.

Launches like these are often considered by the international community to be ballistic missile tests and would be met with protests involving the imposition of a range of new sanctions.

However, North Korea insists that these satellite launches were solely for scientific research purposes.

According to VOV