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South Korea has launched its second military spy satellite into orbit, marking a significant step in its surveillance and defense capabilities.

The launch was conducted from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Sunday evening. Following the successful separation from its rocket, South Korea’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the satellite had entered orbit and established communication with an overseas ground station. Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha Gyu emphasized the significance of this achievement, stating, “With the success of the second military spy satellite launch, our military has acquired an additional independent surveillance ability and further bolstered our ‘kill chain’ capability.”

As part of an agreement with SpaceX, South Korea plans to launch a total of five spy satellites by 2025, with the first having been launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on December 1st.

This event comes shortly after North Korea reaffirmed its intention to deploy several reconnaissance satellites within the year, intensifying the satellite race on the Korean Peninsula.

Both nations had initiated their space-based surveillance efforts last year, with North Korea launching its first spy satellite in November, followed by South Korea in December.