North Korea is planning a satellite launch coinciding with the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, according to Choi Gi-il, a national security professor. Over the past three months, technical improvements have been made to the launch, following a failed attempt in May. The US, South Korea, and Japan criticized the May launch as a breach of UN resolutions. Experts note the overlap between intercontinental ballistic missile and space launch technologies. Kim Jong Un prioritizes military spy satellite development. The crashed May satellite led to a 36-day South Korean salvage operation, but subsequent analysis by South Korea and the US found no military use for the satellite.