DPRK: SPACE POWER

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea launched an earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong 4 on February 7. This immediately drew attention of the world, and is arousing a host of opinions in the international community.

The history of satellite launch by mankind covers 60 years. Many countries have launched their satellites, but why has the launch of a satellite by the DPRK become breaking news in the world?

It is because, first of all, it was launched under extreme conditions.

The DPRK is not a large country. It is miraculously maintaining its existence under the tenacious and extreme sanctions and blockades by the US, self-appointed international police, and the countries that followed it intentionally or by force. Such a country can never be found elsewhere in the world.

Launching a satellite is an independent and legitimate right of a sovereign state. Peaceful use of outer space is an aspiration of every country, and it has become a generalized reality. However, the US and its followers have tried their best to deprive this just right of the DPRK. Whenever the DPRK launched a satellite, they railroaded a “sanctions resolution” through the UN Security Council in order to stifle its economy and deprive its people of their right to survival.

In these circumstances the DPRK launched another satellite.

This demonstrated once again its strength and mettle to all the hostile forces that are attempting to check its advance, those who are not desirous of seeing its people well-off and who fear its development.

Another reason is the great speed of the country’s space development.

Successful launch of Kwangmyongsong 1 in August 1998, Kwangmyongsong 2 in April 2009, Kwangmyongsong 3-2 in December 2012, and now in February 2016, Kwangmyongsong 4.

It seems we are looking at a graph of the multistage leaps of the DPRK towards a space power.

In the 1990s socialist Korea was suffering the worst-ever trials owing to the intensive rackets for all-sided blockade raised by the anti-socialist forces throughout the world to stamp out socialism on the earth by taking advantage of the collapse of socialism in the former Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries. In those days Kwangmyongsong 1 was launched to the great surprise of the world.

Now, not more than 20 years later, the DPRK has achieved a remarkable progress in space development. After two times of test launch, it succeeded in launching an earth observation satellite, and the inclined orbital satellite developed into pole orbital satellite.

The next reason is that the DPRK is a space power both in name and in reality.

There are some countries in the world that launch or have their satellites, but only a few of them launch their satellites by means of their own launch pads and insert them into orbit by means of their own launch vehicles. Even those that manufacture and launch satellites depend on others for many of the component parts, technology and expert skills.

However, the DPRK resolved all the problems with their own materials, technology and effort. The scientists and technicians involved in manufacturing, launching and controlling the indigenous satellites are all native Koreans.

The DPRK, having already worked out a bright blueprint for exploring outer space, is stepping up its realization. Kwangmyongsong 4 was launched under the 2016 plan of the five-year national space development plan.

Indeed, the DPRK is a space power.