The thing about North Korea is that once in a while, it does something that sends the international community into a flurry of talk about the hermit nation, even though little is known about what's really going on.

This week, Pyongyang fired a long-range Unha-3 rocket and sent a satellite into orbit. Nervous world leaders quivered as the rogue country defied a United Nations ban on developing nuclear- and missile-related technology.

Was the world a more dangerous place after Wednesday's event? What would it mean for North Korea's young leader as he is about to mark the first anniversary of the death of his father, Kim Jong Il?

When the son ascended to power, concerns surfaced over an inexperienced, mysterious heir taking charge of North Korea's nuclear weapons program, its hardcore and cultish communist society and a population of the hungry.

His eldest half brother said in his book that he was concerned Kim Jong Un would fail to satisfy North Koreans.

Now, the new "Dear Leader" can claim not just a public relations victory but also a tangible accomplishment as he prepared for Monday's anniversary of Kim Jong Il's death.

Amid the dearth of information, one thing was clear: Kim Jong Un can now stand proud before his people on that big day.

"The question is what does Kim Jong Un intend? said Leon Sigal, director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council in New York.

"It's been an interesting first year but as with most things in North Korea, we simply don't know," he said.

Few nuclear experts saw the launch as a tremendous technological advancement, but the perceptions were great and gave Kim a big boost in clout. He can say he fulfilled a promise that has kept his family dynasty in power for decades; that the nation's persistence to move on -- despite international isolation and internal hardship -- has paid off.

In that sense, the satellite launch was proof of progress and power, said Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who traveled to North Korea in 2010.

"He wants to show his people after one year in leadership, North Korea is a strong military, technological, space, nuclear power (with) nuclear weapons," Richardson said.

"I think that was partly to shore up the military, to shore up his support," he said.

James Schoff, a North Korea specialist with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, agreed.

"I think this is very important to Kim Jong Un to build political legitimacy and bolster the spirits of his people," he said. "He is doing this despite the fact that he knows he is going to come into a lot of criticism in the region for it."

The launch was a continuation of Kim Jong Un's father's project and it was important to achieve success days ahead of the death anniversary, especially after a failed rocket launch in April. That launch had been timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of founding leader Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of Kim Jong Un.

"Then, it was a major embarrassment," said Han Park, director of the University of Georgia's Center for the Study of Global Issues who was in North Korea at the time of the failed launch. "So they tried to rectify that.

"This is a tremendous psychological boost vis-a-vis the South," Park said referring to the fact that South Korea has not yet put a satellite in space.

North Korea's ruling politburo is sure to spin the story as national dreams coming to fruition under the initiative of Kim, Park said.

Sure enough, the state-run news agency KCNA said the launch was "a desire at the behest" of Kim.

"All the people across the country are greatly excited at the news of the successful launch and progressives are extending sincere congratulations to them," it said.

The sentiment was echoed at a snow-dusted celebratory rally Friday.

"The successful launch was the result of Kim's "unique will, courage and boldness," said Jang Chol, head of the State Academy of Sciences.

The rocket launch allows Kim to establish military security for North Korea, said Park, and allows him to move forward with another priority: economic progress.

"This is an important game changer," Park said.