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Japanese media has reported that North Korea is planning to launch another satellite after its failed attempt last month. The country has notified Japanese officials that it intends to launch the satellite sometime between August 24-31. North Korea launched its first military reconnaissance satellite in May, but it failed when the thrusters lost power and the rocket fell into the sea shortly after leaving the launch pad.

North Korea has stated that it developed the spy satellite as a necessary counterbalance to the growing US military presence in the region. The country’s news agency, KCNA, condemned the “aggressive character” of the US-South Korea military drills that began on Monday. KCNA warned of the possibility of a “thermonuclear war on the Korean peninsula” if the drills involve a “nuclear provocation.”

The United States, South Korea, and Japan have all condemned North Korea’s satellite launch in May, citing violations of UN resolutions that prohibit the nuclear-armed state from using ballistic missile technology. Analysts have noted the technological overlap between the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and space launch capabilities.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made the development of a military spy satellite a top priority. South Korea’s intelligence agency has informed lawmakers that Pyongyang could launch a reconnaissance satellite in late August or early September, ahead of the regime’s 75th anniversary on September 9.

After the crash of the satellite in May, South Korea conducted a 36-day salvage operation to retrieve the parts of the rocket and satellite. The retrieved parts were analyzed by experts from South Korea and the US, with South Korea’s defense ministry ultimately concluding that the satellite had no military utility.

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