Starting Today, You Can Clearly See Kim Jong-un's Office in Pyongyang [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Military Reconnaissance Satellite No.1 Begins Mission Today
Surveillance Capabilities to Be Further Enhanced Upon Deployment of No.2 Satellite

The military reconnaissance satellite No. 1 is entering full-scale operation. It can clearly observe the Pyongyang Workers' Party Headquarters building, where Chairman Kim Jong-un's office is located, significantly enhancing independent surveillance capabilities against North Korea.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 14th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced, "As part of Project 425 (military reconnaissance satellite launch project), the military reconnaissance satellite No. 1, launched last December in California, USA, has received a combat suitability certification and will begin full-scale missions."

The combat suitability certification is a procedure to verify whether the satellite can be deployed in actual combat after functional inspections. Previously, the military reconnaissance satellite No. 1 reportedly transmitted satellite images of the central area of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, to the ground. During the certification period, the reconnaissance satellite No. 1 sent satellite images of North Korean territory via email to the ground, and after correction work, the resolution was further enhanced.

The reconnaissance satellite No. 1 is equipped with electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) sensors. It captures images using EO during the day and IR at night. Flying at an altitude of 400 to 600 km, the reconnaissance satellite No. 1 passes over the Korean Peninsula twice a day and is known to have a resolution of 0.3 meters, recognizing ground objects measuring 30 cm by 30 cm as a single pixel.

Following reconnaissance satellite No. 1, the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) military reconnaissance satellite No. 2, launched in April this year using radar waves, will also be deployed in actual operations, reducing dependence on the United States for satellite intelligence on North Korea. Satellite No. 2 uses synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology with radar waves, enabling ultra-high-resolution imaging of target objects under any weather conditions, day or night.

The military plans to secure five reconnaissance satellites by 2025 to strengthen surveillance and reconnaissance of key targets within North Korea. By 2030, it aims to operationalize about 40 ultra-small satellites weighing less than 100 kg each, reducing the revisit cycle over the Korean Peninsula to within 30 minutes.