▲ This photo, provided by Seoul's defense ministry, shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying South Korea's first homegrown spy satellite ready for lift off at U.S. Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying South Korea's first homegrown spy satellite lifts off from U.S. Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Dec. 1, 2023 (local time), in this photo provided by SpaceX. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) S Korea-spy satellite

(LEAD) S. Korea launches first spy satellite into orbit with SpaceX Falcon 9

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; UPDATES with latest details in first 2 paras; ADDS byline)

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea launched its first indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from U.S. Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday (local time), according to the defense ministry.

The Falcon 9 lifted off at 10:19 a.m. and sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit approximately four minutes after the launch, the ministry said. It was live streamed on SpaceX's homepage.

The launch was initially planned for Nov. 30 but was postponed due to bad weather.

Beginning with an electro-optical and infrared satellite, South Korea plans to launch four more synthetic aperture radar satellites by 2025 to better monitor North Korea.

The launch comes after North Korea placed its first spy satellite in orbit on Nov. 21, following two failed attempts earlier this year.

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