Satellite launch comes as Seoul seeks to bolster its ability to monitor nuclear-armed North Korea. South Korea has launched its first spy satellite using a rocket operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The launch on Saturday came less than two weeks after rival North Korea announced it had successfully launched its own reconnaissance satellite, underscoring the accelerating space race between the neighbours. The satellite promises to enhance Seoul’s ability to monitor nuclear-armed North Korea, which has until now been heavily dependent on the surveillance capabilities of its ally, the United States. North Korea’s launch of the Malligyong-1 satellite last month drew condemnation from the US, South Korea and Japan, whose governments view Pyongyang’s space programme as a pretext to test banned ballistic missile technology.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 03, 2023 01:13 UTC