South Korea launches satellite-carrying missile, North Korea immediately condemns.

On December 4, the South Korean Ministry of Defense successfully launched a solid-fuel rocket from a floating launch platform off the coast of Jeju Island. The rocket placed a small Earth observation satellite into orbit at an altitude of approximately 650 km, according to Yonhap.

A solid-fuel rocket was launched near South Korea's Jeju Island on December 4th.

The 100kg satellite, manufactured by Hanwha Systems, sent signals back to the ground after launch, indicating it was functioning normally. The rocket was developed by the Korea Defense Development Agency.

This was the third test launch of the aforementioned solid-fuel rocket, a type that is easier to use and more cost-effective than liquid-fuel rockets.

The South Korean Ministry of Defense plans to develop this missile to build a satellite-based surveillance system. On December 1st, a South Korean military reconnaissance satellite was also launched by a SpaceX rocket from a base in California (USA).

The missile was launched by South Korea on December 4th.

This action comes after North Korea also launched a military spy satellite into orbit and officially began operations. On December 4, the country condemned the US for applying double standards by helping South Korea launch a satellite but criticizing North Korea's similar actions.

"The forced application of the ostentatious American standards in the field of space, a common treasure of humanity, should not be allowed," the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported in a statement from the National Aerospace Technology Agency.

North Korea's satellite launch led to South Korea, and later Pyongyang itself, invalidating the bilateral military agreement in 2018.

North Korean media published commentary over the weekend stating that conflict and war on the Korean Peninsula are only a matter of time after the agreement is abrogated, and warning that Seoul risks complete collapse if it takes hostile action.

In response, South Korea's Unification Ministry on December 4 condemned North Korea's baseless accusations regarding the 2018 agreement, emphasizing that Seoul's partial suspension of the agreement was a minimum defensive measure.

In a related development, Seoul police on December 4 accused the Andariel hacking group, suspected of being linked to North Korea, of stealing digital data containing key technologies from South Korean defense companies, according to Yonhap.

Andariel is also alleged to have pocketed 470 million won (8.7 billion VND) in digital currency through ransomware attacks targeting South Korean companies. A portion of this money was transferred to North Korea, which has not immediately commented on these allegations.

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