This study aims to assess the threat posed by North Korea's launch of a reconnaissance satellite on November 21, 2023. After examining the current status, purpose, and capabilities of North Korean reconnaissance satellites, we evaluate the threats from spy satellites developed by North Korea and review the countermeasures by the South Korean military. Reconnaissance satellites were initially developed by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and later in China, Japan, France, and Germany. North Korea successfully launched satellites in 2012 and 2016, while South Korea has been operating its own satellites since the 1990s. North Korea and South Korea have launched and operated spy satellites since 2023, with North Korea claiming the development of spy satellites in response to perceived threats from the United States, Japan, and South Korea. However, given North Korea’s capacity for a nuclear attack, the launch of a spy satellite by North Korea could lead to a security crisis. Therefore, South Korea needs to prepare measures for the South Korean military's countermeasures against North Korean spy satellites to ensure peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Although analysts have determined that North Korea's satellite technology is in such a rudimentary stage and its satellites may not be capable of performing necessary military functions, it is still important to establish a countermeasure against North Korea's successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite in 2023. This should involve analyzing North Korea's intention to develop a reconnaissance satellite and its military threat; strengthening the joint response capabilities of South Korea, the United States, and Japan against military threats from North Korean reconnaissance satellites; and enhancing South Korea’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to gain an upper hand in the competition with North Korea for the development of reconnaissance satellites

Abstract

I. Introduction

II. Concepts of Reconnaissance Satellites and Analysis Methods
1. The concept of a spy satellite
2. Development of Reconnaissance Satellites in Developed Countries
3. Scope and Target of Reconnaissance Satellite Research

III. Threats of North Korea's Reconnaissance Satellite Development
1. Milestones in North Korea’s Reconnaissance Satellite Development
(1) First Reconnaissance Satellite Launch (May 30, 2023)
(2) Second Reconnaissance Satellite Launch (August 24, 2023)
(3) Third Reconnaissance Satellite Launch (November 21, 2023)
2. Analysis and Evaluation of the Threats of North Korea's Reconnaissance Satellite Development
(1) The purpose of developing spy satellites
(2) Reconnaissance satellite development capability
(3) Military threats of reconnaissance satellites

IV. South Korea's Response Plan

V. Conclusion

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