South Korea Reports North Korean Military Satellite Launch Preparations

South Korea’s military announced on Friday that it had detected potential preparations for a satellite launch in North Korea, likely aimed at placing a second military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are closely monitoring these activities, according to a South Korean military official.

The preparations were observed in Dongchang-ri, the location of North Korea’s primary space flight centre, though the official did not provide further details.

North Korea launched its first spy satellite last year, with leader Kim Jong Un purportedly reviewing photos taken of the White House, the Pentagon, and other sites around the world.

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However, state media have not released any of these images. The launch led to sanctions from the U.S. and its allies, and in response, Seoul suspended part of a 2018 military agreement with Pyongyang. North Korea then abandoned the pact and rebuilt previously demolished guard posts near the border. The country has also committed to launching three more satellites this year.

Amid this space race, South Korea launched its second domestically-produced spy satellite earlier this year using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the John F. Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. North Korea has justified its satellite launches as a right to self-defence and criticized Washington’s response as a “double standard” in light of South Korea’s satellite activities.