South Korea's military said it had successfully test-fired a solid-fuel space rocket for the first time on Wednesday, a step it says will help eventually launch a constellation of satellites to better monitor threats such as North Korea.
The launch is the first such test since South Korea and the United States agreed last year to end decades of restrictions on the South's ballistic missile and rocket development, and comes less than a week after North Korea conducted its highest missile test yet.
"The success of the test launch of this solid-propelled space launch vehicle is an important milestone in strengthening the defense power of our military's independent space-based surveillance and reconnaissance field at a very critical time," the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement, citing last week's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by North Korea.
