[The Chosun Ilbo, December 5 2007] Korean Military Launches New Satellite System

The Korean military will be able to remotely command its vessels and aircraft operating thousands of kilometers away from the country thanks to a new satellite communications system.

The system will cover a diameter of 12,000 km, ranging as far east as the Marshall Islands and west as the Strait of Malacca, and from northern Australia to northern Siberia.

The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) said Tuesday that it has completed the development of the military satellite communications system which began in 1996. It is the first such system built by Korea and will be put into service this month using the Mugunghwa-5 satellite, which was launched in August of last year, the ADD said.