North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly guided preparations for the country's first military reconnaissance satellite on Tuesday.

According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday, Kim oversaw the ad hoc satellite launch preparatory committee the previous day and approved the next steps of its action plan.

Kim checked the overall status of the project and inspected the spy satellite, which is ready for loading after undergoing the final general assembly check and space environment test.

Kim reiterated the country's strategic need to possess a military spy satellite, saying the North will more assertively exercise its right to self-defense to deter the escalating confrontational moves by the U.S. “imperialists” and South Korean “puppet villains.”

He added that the successful launch of a military reconnaissance satellite is an urgent need derived from the country's security conditions. 

It marks Kim's first public appearance since April 18, when he visited the National Aerospace Development Administration and declared the development of the nation's first reconnaissance satellite completed.

[Photo : YONHAP News]