North Korea nuclear program
North Korea nuclear programiStock

North Korea said on Sunday (local time) it conducted "another important" test for reconnaissance satellite systems, Reuters reported, citing state news agency KCNA.

The report comes a day after North Korean military authorities reported the launch of a ballistic missile from the country for the second time in a week.

North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) and the Academy of Defence Science conducted the launch "under the plan of developing a reconnaissance satellite," KCNA reported.

It was the second such launch in a week to test satellite equipment, and the ninth missile launch this year.

"Through the test, the NADA confirmed the reliability of data transmission and reception system of the satellite, its control command system and various ground-based control systems," KCNA said.

The report did not elaborate on the type of rocket used in the launch, but authorities in South Korea said it appeared to be a ballistic missile fired from an area near Pyongyang where its international airport is located.

South Korea's military said the North Korean missile reached a height of about 560 km (350 miles) and flew 270 km (170 miles).

North Korea has carried out nine missile tests since January. One of those launches was a test of a Hwasong-12 mid-range ballistic missile. This marked the first time Pyongyang has tested a weapon that powerful since 2017.

Pyongyang restarted its missile tests after denuclearization talks with the United States came to a halt.

Former US President Donald Trump tried to reach an agreement with North Korea while in office. Kim and Trump met in Hanoi in 2019 for a summit that left nuclear talks at a standstill.

The pair had met three times since June 2018 but made little progress towards denuclearization.

The Biden administration reached out to North Korea shortly after taking office, but the country did not respond to those overtures.

In Biden’s first policy speech to Congress, he said nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran posed threats that would be addressed through “diplomacy and stern deterrence”.

Responding to that speech, North Korea dismissed the idea of talks with Washington, saying Biden’s speech was “intolerable” and “a big blunder."