SEOUL: South Korea is set to launch its second domestically made military spy satellite in the United States next week, as confirmed by Seoul’s defense ministry on Friday. This move marks another step in South Korea’s efforts to enhance its capabilities in countering the nuclear-armed North Korea.
Following the successful launch of its first military spy satellite in December, carried by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, South Korea is now intensifying its space capabilities. The upcoming launch comes in response to North Korea’s own advancements, as it launched its first military satellite in November last year.
Scheduled for April 7 in the US, the second spy satellite will be launched from the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, also aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Once in orbit, these satellites will enable South Korea to monitor key facilities in North Korea with high-resolution imagery, sending updates every two hours.
Seoul plans to deploy a total of five spy military satellites by 2025, significantly enhancing its surveillance capabilities over the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, North Korea claims its satellite has already provided crucial intelligence, underscoring the strategic importance of space assets in the ongoing tensions between the two Koreas.
As tensions escalate, with Pyongyang declaring South Korea as its “principal enemy” and making aggressive military threats, the deployment of advanced reconnaissance satellites adds a new dimension to the security dynamics in the region.
