By Hyonhee Shin
SEOUL (Reuters) -North&nbsp;Korea's state media KCNA said on Monday the country conducted an "important, final phase"&nbsp;test&nbsp;on Sunday for the development of a&nbsp;spy&nbsp;satellite, which it seeks to complete by&nbsp;April&nbsp;2023.
The report was released a day after the South&nbsp;Korean and Japanese militaries reported the isolated&nbsp;North's&nbsp;launch&nbsp;of two intermediate-range ballistic missiles towards its east coast.
Pyongyang's National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) conducted the&nbsp;test&nbsp;at its Sohae&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;launching station in the&nbsp;northwest to review its capability of&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;imaging, data transmission and ground control systems, according to KCNA.
A vehicle carrying a mock&nbsp;satellite, which also included multiple cameras, image transmitters and receivers, a control device and a storage battery, was fired at the "lofted angle" of 500 km (311 miles).
"We confirmed important technical indicators such as camera operating technology in the space environment, data processing and transmission ability of the communication devices, tracking and control accuracy of the ground control system," a NADA spokesperson said in the KCNA dispatch.
The spokesperson called the&nbsp;test&nbsp;a "final gateway process of&nbsp;launching a reconnaissance&nbsp;satellite" which will be completed by&nbsp;April.
KCNA also released two black-and-white, low-resolution images of the South&nbsp;Korean capital Seoul and nearby port city of Incheon, which it said were taken during Sunday's&nbsp;launch.
North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has conducted an unprecedented number of missile&nbsp;tests this year, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) designed to reach the U.S. mainland, in defiance of international sanctions.
On Friday, the&nbsp;North&nbsp;tested a high-thrust solid-fuel engine which experts said would facilitate quicker and more mobile&nbsp;launch&nbsp;of ballistic missiles, as it seeks to develop a new strategic weapon and speed up its nuclear and missile programmes.
Pyongyang has&nbsp;tested&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;systems during several rocket&nbsp;launches, and leader Kim Jong Un has said its pursuit of a&nbsp;spy&nbsp;satellite&nbsp;is meant to provide real-time information on military actions by the United States and its allies.
South&nbsp;Korea's presidential office strongly condemned the&nbsp;North's latest&nbsp;launch, saying its continued provocations and nuclear and missile development would only endanger its own regime.
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Paul Simao and Diane Craft)

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North Korea confirms 'important' spy satellite test for April launch