South Korea to invest heavily in spy satellite technology with eye on North
The South Korean government plans to spend 1.6 trillion won
($1.37 billion) by 2030 on developing state-of-the-art spy satellite and
related rocket technology in a bid to beef up its surveillance network as North
Korea continues to work on nuclear and missile development.
The move comes after guidelines agreed by South Korea and
its security ally the United States that had restricted Seoul's ballistic
missile development for decades were abolished in May.
South Korea, in close coordination with the United States,
detected preparations that had been made in North Korea ahead of a military
parade in Pyongyang early Thursday.
While it is already capable of eavesdropping on
communications, South Korea continues to depend on the United States for
intelligence gathering via spy satellite. The country is aiming to be able to
conduct constant surveillance of its northern neighbor using its own
microsatellites.
According to an investment plan announced by the country's
Defense Acquisition Program Administration last week, due to the repeal of the
guidelines, South Korea can now develop satellite-launching rockets that rely
on solid fuel, which is easier to handle than liquid fuel and requires a
simpler rocket design.
The South Korean government has now expressed eagerness to
establish low-cost, high-precision satellite-launching technology so it can
expand earnestly into the space industry.
The government has allocated 18.5 billion won under the
investment plan to develop a satellite-mounted advanced sensor for infrared
observation of the Earth's surface. Such a sensor would have at least 50
percent higher resolution than those mounted on existing satellites that are
operated overseas, according to local media.
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