While enhancing surveillance capabilities, Seoul’s space-based ISR capability may exacerbate existing regional tensions
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries South Korea’s first indigenous spy satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, Dec. 1, 2023, Image: ROK Ministry of National Defense
South Korea’s launch of the first in a series of five indigenous military reconnaissance satellites last Friday — a project undertaken with SpaceX — grants the country something it has long sought: an independent space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
This successful deployment reduces Seoul’s reliance on Washington for space-based ISR inputs — significantly enhancing the ROK’s strategic situational awareness. However, it also raises questions about the risks and challenges in an increasingly volatile Northeast Asia.
South Korea’s launch of the first in a series of five indigenous military reconnaissance satellites last Friday — a project undertaken with SpaceX — grants the country something it has long sought: an independent space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
This successful deployment reduces Seoul’s reliance on Washington for space-based ISR inputs — significantly enhancing the ROK’s strategic situational awareness. However, it also raises questions about the risks and challenges in an increasingly volatile Northeast Asia.
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