S. Korea and N. Korea seek satellite launch success with support from US and Russia, respectively. Read more at straitstimes.com.
SEOUL – In a high-stakes race, South Korea and North Korea are vying for success in launching their first home-grown military spy satellites, backed respectively by the United States and Russia, as a pivotal initiative aimed at enhancing their military capabilities.
The ministry emphasised that military spy satellites will be the core of ISR assets, which serve as the cornerstone for South Korea’s three-axis defence system. North Korea also seeks to have “a large number of reconnaissance satellites” for military purposes by 2025, as ordered by leader Kim Jong Un in March 2022. At that time, the North’s media said the goal was to “thoroughly monitor and identify anti-DPRK and hostile military actions by the aggression troops of the US imperialism and its vassal forces on the Korean peninsula and the surrounding area”.
“However, our assessment suggests that a launch could potentially occur towards the end of November, though we need to remain cautious and monitor the situation as it unfolds.” But any launch conducted by the North that involves ballistic missile technology, including the use of space launch vehicles to place satellites into orbit, constitutes a breach of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.