North Korea's recently launched reconnaissance satellite is in orbit but does not appear to be functioning, the South said.
The Malligyong-1, the North's first spy satellite to successfully reach orbit, was circling the Earth but not communicating with the ground, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday, quoting comments made the previous day by the South's defense minister, Shin Won-sik.
"It shows no signs of functioning and is merely orbiting without activity," he said. Seoul's defense chief was skeptical about Pyongyang's claim that satellite was monitoring South Korea and U.S. troops.
With inter-Korean relations already at their lowest point in decades, and long-time North Korea watchers saying Kim Jong Un is preparing for war, the old Cold War foes are now also locked in a rivalry in space.
Kim's satellite success in November was followed by the launch of South Korea's own reconnaissance satellite with help from the U.S., a move decried by the North for its "double standards."
Pyongyang has announced plans to put three more satellites into orbit this year. South Korea assesses the next launch could come "as early as this March," according to Shin, one month before Seoul intends to launch its second satellite as well.
Shin suggested it was a deliberate tactic by North Korea to pressure President Yoon Suk Yeol's government before the South's upcoming general elections on April 10.
The North Korean Embassy in Beijing did not answer calls seeking comment.
Shin repeated a South Korean intelligence assessment that concluded the North likely received technical assistance from Russia for its satellite launch.
Last September, President Vladimir Putin hosted Kim at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's main spaceport in the country's Far East. The two leaders agreed to increased cooperation in trade, defense and space—and likely struck an arms deal, too.
"It remains uncertain to what degree Russia will offer technology related to aircraft and ground equipment sought by North Korea. However, if Russia continues to receive more munitions from North Korea, the scope of technology transfer could increase," Shin said.
The U.S. and its allies have accused Russian forces of firing North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine. The South last month accused Moscow of using Ukraine as a "test site" for Pyongyang's weapons.
A Ukrainian military intelligence official said last week that Russia had received 1.5 million 122-millimeter and 152-millimeter artillery shells from North Korea, but half the rounds do not work. The other half required restoration or inspection, the official said.
According to Yonhap, Shin said North Korea had shipped some 6,700 containers to Russia since the Putin-Kim meeting in September, enough to accommodate 500,000 rounds of 122-millimeter artillery shells or 3 million 152-millimeter shells.
In return, North Korea appeared to be receiving food and other necessities including materials for weapons manufacturing.
"It seems that food accounts for the largest proportion, which is believed to have stabilized food prices in North Korea, with other necessities also included," Shin said.
Russia's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a written request for comment before publication.
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John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He ... Read more
