South Korea on high alert after North Korea's spy satellite launch

On Wednesday, South Korea terminated a portion of a 2018 military pact with North Korea for launching a spy satellite in defiance of US warnings.

South Korea will increase military surveillance along the heavily fortified border with North Korea as a result of an agreement condition being suspended.

North Korea reported on Tuesday that it has launched its first spy satellite into orbit. Images published by official media purportedly showed leader Kim Jong Un witnessing the dramatic rocket launch from a base.

Later, Kim received a briefing on the satellite’s operations at the space agency’s control centre in Pyongyang and saw photos of American military installations, such as the Andersen Air Force, taken above the Pacific territory of Guam.

The statement emphasised that Kim wanted to provide his armed forces with “abundant valuable real-time information about the enemy and further promote their responsive posture” by putting more reconnaissance satellites in different orbits.

After modifications, the satellite would launch its surveillance mission on December 1, according to KCNA.

The military of South Korea stated that although it would take some time to determine whether North Korea’s military reconnaissance satellite was in orbit, it was thought to have done so.

The US military was determining whether or not the launch was successful, the Pentagon had earlier stated. The launch was described as “a brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions” by Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council.

During an official visit to Britain, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gave his approval to the suspension of a portion of the agreement with North Korea. Earlier, via video link, Yoon presided over a National Security Council meeting that included ministers and the head of intelligence.

The Comprehensive Military Agreement, which aims to reduce tension between North and South Korea, was signed during a summit in 2018 between Kim and then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

(With agency inputs)