McFate Weighs In on North Korea’s Failed Military Reconnaissance Satellite Launch in The Independent

June 7, 2023

The Independent

Sean McFate

Maxwell in Washington, D.C.

Defense & Security

East Asia

International Affairs

The Independent

Sean McFate

Last week, North Korea attempted to put the country's first spy satellite into orbit but the rocket carrying the "Chollima-1" satellite crashed into waters off the Korean Peninsula's western coast. The launch was condemned by Washington.

Sean McFate, adjunct professor in Maxwell's Washington programs, says the North's satellite launch is mostly for "domestic political consumption" and unlikely to have a substantial impact.

"Kim’s autocracy is legitimized by the 'enduring threat' of the U.S., and this demonstration shows he’s fulfilling his social contract with North Koreans," he says.

Read more in The Independent article, "Kim Jong-un may be suffering from insomnia and 'worsening alcohol dependency'."