Or perhaps Kim read "King David's Spaceship".
Plot summary: Ruler of a planet recruits a loyal soldier to go into space in a jury-rigged ship-of-no-return, so the alien federation visiting will treat the planet's civilization as "space-faring". (IE. not treat them as savages.) Happy ending has the brave (foolhardy) astronaut rescued by the aliens, and they decide a single one-way trip qualifies.
Kim now claims a satellite, ICBMs, and his nukes. Now he has a "big-boy" country...
