South Korea’s fifth homegrown military spy satellite has successfully entered orbit after launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the Defence Ministry announced on Sunday.
The move is expected to boost the country’s independent surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 1:09 a.m. U.S. time and deployed the satellite into orbit about 14 minutes later, according to the ministry. Around an hour after liftoff, the satellite made contact with a ground station, confirming that it was operating normally, Yonhap News Agency reported.
This satellite is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and is the fifth and final one under South Korea’s plan to deploy five military reconnaissance satellites by the end of this year. These satellites are designed to enhance the country’s ability to monitor North Korea and reduce reliance on U.S. satellite data.
“With this launch, our military can now conduct independent surveillance and reconnaissance across the Korean Peninsula in any weather condition by operating the satellites as a cluster,” the ministry said.
Of the five satellites, the first three are already in full operation, while the fourth is still undergoing evaluation. Once all five are active, South Korea will be able to monitor North Korea roughly every two hours.
The Defence Ministry added that the latest launch will strengthen the country’s “Kill Chain” system—part of its three-layered deterrence strategy aimed at detecting and neutralizing threats from the North.
Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the successful launch marks the completion of South Korea’s round-the-clock monitoring capabilities over the Korean Peninsula. He also pledged to further advance the country’s defense space technology in the coming years.
South Korea launched its first spy satellite in December 2023. It was equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors for high-resolution imaging. The following satellites featured SAR technology, allowing them to gather data regardless of weather or lighting conditions.
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Meanwhile, North Korea has been working to build its own space surveillance capabilities. The country launched its first military spy satellite, Malligyong-1, in November 2023 and announced plans to launch three more in 2024. However, those plans stalled after a rocket carrying another satellite exploded shortly after takeoff in May 2024.
