North Korea spy satellite: South partially suspends military deal after launch

BBC News:

South Korea has suspended parts of its 2018 agreement with the North aimed at lowering military tensions.

This comes after Pyongyang claimed to have successfully launched a spy satellite into space.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the launch threatened South Korea’s security.

Seoul said it would resume surveillance flights along its border with North Korea, breaching a no-fly zone established under the military deal.

Some analysts have said these developments could escalate tensions further.

Pyongyang fired a rocket, said to contain its Malligyong-1 spy satellite, late on Tuesday and hailed the launch as a “success”.

The United States and South Korea said they could not yet assess whether the launch had been successful, or if the spy satellite was operational, but both “strongly condemned” it.

US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the move risked “destabilising the security situation in the region and beyond.”