N. Korea puts spy satellite into orbit

North Korea made a surprise launch of its military spy satellite on Monday night. According to the Korean Central News Agency of the country on Wednesday, North Korea’s new “Chollima-1” carrier rocket was successfully launched and accurately put the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit. If the report is correct, the North made a successful launch three months after two consecutive failed attempts in May and August. The South Korean government suspended the effect of the clause in the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement that limited the country’s reconnaissance against the North and deployed reconnaissance drones close to the Military Demarcation Line.

North Korea’s first launch of a military spy satellite is threatening as the country now has an ‘eye’ that will improve the efficiency and accuracy of its attacks. It took the first step into spying and reconnaissance activities to monitor movements in key military bases in South Korea and around the Korean Peninsula. The resolution of the satellite is estimated to be low at around three to five meters. Still, it is only a matter of time for the country to enhance its technological capabilities to secure more detailed images. There are pieces of evidence that Russia has been providing technological support since the summit between the North and Russia in September.

The fact that North Korea launched a series of space launch vehicles and is accumulating technological capabilities for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) is a serious problem that cannot be ignored. The technology for launching long-range rockets is identical to the technology for long-range missiles, which can be redirected at any point. This means that the country’s repeated launch of satellites is directly related to the improved performance of ICBMs, which are the projectile of nuclear weapons. While such launches violate the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions, the North has been carrying them out with the sanctions being ineffective. It announced that several reconnaissance satellites would be additionally launched in the near future, according to the instructions of its leader, Kim Jong Un, to deploy a large number of military reconnaissance satellites within the next five years.

The provocation of North Korea equipped with a reconnaissance satellite, one of its five major national defense projects, is likely to be heightened. In order to respond to North Korea’s more sophisticated threats, the South Korean military should urgently enhance its reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities against the North. The South Korean military is planning to launch a total of five reconnaissance satellites by 2025, starting with its first-ever independently-developed reconnaissance satellite scheduled to be launched on November 30. A tighter and more accurate satellite surveillance system should be quickly built to address blind spots in surveillance and monitor North Korea 24/7.

Careful preparation against North Korea’s potential regional provocations on the excuse of the suspended clause of the September 19 military agreement is also required. With growing tension on the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean military should closely monitor any movement in North Korea based on the surveillance and reconnaissance activities to be resumed near the Military Demarcation Line. The real-time missile intelligence sharing system between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, which will begin operating next month, should be run without any issues.