N. Korea says it successfully put spy satellite into orbit

North Korea said Wednesday it has successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit and will launch several more satellites "in a short span of time" to secure its reconnaissance capabilities against South Korea, YONHAP reported.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the North launched a reconnaissance satellite called the Malligyong-1 on a new type of Chollima-1 rocket from a launch site in Tongchang-ri on the west coast at 10:42 p.m. Tuesday.

The purported success followed two earlier botched launch attempts in May and August, respectively. It came amid growing speculation that Russia might have provided the North with military technology in return for the North's supply of military equipment and munitions for use in Russia's war in Ukraine.

"The carrier rocket 'Chollima-1' flew normally along the preset flight track and accurately put the reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' on its orbit at 22:54:13, 705s after the launch," the KCNA said in an English-language report.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observed the launch at the site and congratulated officials, scientists and technicians associated with the launch preparations, it said.

Pending a detailed analysis of the launch, South Korea and the United States did not confirm whether it was a success. But they condemned it as a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions banning any test using ballistic missile technology.

In response to the launch, Seoul said it will resume reconnaissance and surveillance activities around the inter-Korean border as it vowed to take steps to suspend part of a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement designed to reduce border tensions and prevent accidental clashes.

The North defended the latest launch as its "legitimate" right to strengthen "self-defensive capabilities" and vowed to launch several additional spy satellites "in a short span of time," according to the KCNA.

"(The launch) will make a significant contribution to definitely ramping up the war preparedness of the armed forces of the Republic," the KCNA said.