South Korea Set to Launch Final Military Spy Satellite to Strengthen Surveillance on North Korea

Seoul, Nov 2025 : South Korea was poised to launch its fifth homegrown military spy satellite from a US space facility on Sunday, marking a major milestone in its effort to build an independent and advanced surveillance network against North Korea.

According to the Defence Ministry, the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite is scheduled to lift off around 1 a.m. Sunday (US time) from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The satellite is the last in South Korea’s plan to deploy five reconnaissance satellites by the end of 2025, a strategy aimed at reducing reliance on US intelligence imagery and strengthening real-time monitoring of North Korean military movements.

“Operating a total of five reconnaissance satellites in a cluster will allow faster and more accurate detection of signs of North Korean provocations,” the ministry said in a statement. It added that the satellite network will significantly reinforce South Korea’s three-axis defence system, designed to deter and respond to potential threats from Pyongyang.

Once all five satellites are operational in orbit, South Korea expects to monitor North Korea at intervals as short as two hours, giving the military a substantial intelligence advantage.

South Korea launched its first military spy satellite in December 2023. That satellite was equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors able to capture high-resolution images. The three others launched since then carry SAR sensors — advanced radars capable of collecting detailed data regardless of weather or lighting conditions, including through cloud cover.

Meanwhile, North Korea has also been pursuing its own space-based reconnaissance programme. The regime successfully launched its first military spy satellite, Malligyong-1, in November 2023 and announced plans to launch three more in 2024. However, its efforts have faltered, with a rocket carrying a satellite exploding shortly after takeoff in May last year. Pyongyang has not attempted another launch since.

The upcoming South Korean launch, therefore, represents a strategic leap forward in the intelligence race between the two Koreas, giving Seoul broader and more reliable eyes in the sky amid continued regional tensions.