North Korea scraps military deal with South Korea, escalating tensions

The heightened tensions come after North Korea appeared to have successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit, putting leader Kim Jong Un closer to his goal of deploying an array of reconnaissance probes allowing him to monitor US forces in the region. Kim oversaw the latest launch, and his state media said the country wants to fire off several more probes within a short period of time.

Adding to the renewed strains, North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea around 11:05 PM on Wednesday, though the launch appears to have failed, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message.

Following the launch of the spy satellite, South Korea suspended parts of a 2018 deal with North Korea intended to ease military tensions along the border. The cabinet in Seoul approved a plan to restore reconnaissance and surveillance activities that were halted under the deal.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff has said that it assessed the satellite entered an orbit but it was unclear whether the device was operational. While officials in Seoul believe a North Korean spy satellite would be rudimentary at best, it could help Pyongyang refine its targeting as it rolls out new missiles designed to deliver nuclear strikes in South Korea and Japan, which host the bulk of America’s military personnel in the region.

Kim later viewed photos of US military facilities in Guam that were taken by the “Malligyong-1” satellite, official media in Pyongyang said.

The White House condemned the launch and was working with allies to assess the situation, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said earlier.

North Korea is barred by UN Security Council resolutions from conducting ballistic missile tests. The US and its partners have warned that technology derived from North Korea’s space program could be used to advance its ballistic missiles.