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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Osaka

North Korea’s spy satellite is a big deal, regardless of how advanced its technology is

North Korea claims it has successfully placed reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' into orbit
North Korea claims it has successfully placed a reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' into orbit. Photograph: Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA

North Korea is already believed to be capable of striking the US mainland with a nuclear weapon; now it claims that it can spy on enemy troops, after state media reported the regime’s first successful launch of a surveillance satellite, drawing an immediate response from South Korea.

While Japan, South Korea and the US could not immediately confirm if the satellite’s payload had entered orbit late on Tuesday, a North Korean presence in space would add to military tensions on the peninsula and highlight the ineffectiveness of international sanctions.

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