N. Korea confirms June launch of military spy satellite: KCNA

In this undated photo provided by the North Korean government on March 11, 2022, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea. - Korean Central News Agency via AP

SEOUL (AFP): North Korea has confirmed it will launch a reconnaissance satellite in June, saying it is needed to monitor military movements of the United States and its partners in real time, state media reported Tuesday (May 30), citing a senior defence official.

Japan said Monday it had been informed by Pyongyang that a satellite launch could happen as early as this week, but Tokyo warned the North may in fact be planning a sanctions-defying ballistic missile test.