SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea received assistance from Russia for its successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite this week, South Korean lawmakers said on Thursday, citing the country’s intelligence agency.
North Korea had sent data on launch vehicles used in two failed previous satellite launches, and Russia offered its analysis of the data, Yoo Sang-bum, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters after a briefing by the spy agency.
Youn Kun-young, another committee member, said the launch was successful since the satellite entered orbit, and North Korea could launch additional satellites and conduct a nuclear test next year.
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim and Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Kim Coghill, Ed Davies)
