South Korea has launched its fifth spy satellite into orbit to monitor the neighbouring North Korea’s military movements after tensions between the two spiked recently.
South Korea’s defence ministry on Monday confirmed that it had successfully launched its fifth reconnaissance satellite, as it aims to step up its monitoring of North Korea.
According to defence experts, the move comes following multiple high-precision and long-range weapons tests carried out by Pyongyang over the past three weeks.
According to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the newly tested weapons are capable of hitting the US mainland.
It’s pertinent to mention that North Korea only tested these weapons after Washington and Seoul concluded their joint military exercises last month.
Meanwhile, the South Korean Defence Ministry on Sunday said that Seoul’s military satellite had entered its planned orbit after being launched from the US state of Florida on a SpaceX rocket.
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Earlier, South Korea had planned to launch five spy satellites to independently observe North Korea’s military moves. Besides, the first one was launched in 2023.
Authorities in Seoul believe that the nexus of these five satellites will enable the country’s military leadership to monitor launch pads and other sites every two hours, day and night.
The defence ministry noted that operating these five satellites together will assist South Korea in detecting signs of provocations faster and more accurately.
In response, North Korea has been attempting to launch spy satellites since 2023 under its five-year defence plan that ends this year.
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