Defense Minister Shin Won-sik speaks during a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Shin said on Friday that South Korea's military will launch its first domestically-built reconnaissance satellite on Nov. 30. Newsis

South Korea's military will launch its first domestically-built reconnaissance satellite on Nov. 30 as part of a project to place five such satellites into space by the end of 2025.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said the satellite carried by a Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX, a U.S. spacecraft maker, will be launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

“Military satellites are the core of the three-axis defense system … They will strengthen that system by improving the capabilities to monitor and track North Korea's nuclear and missile threats in advance,” a military official said.

“Nothing is 100 percent certain, but we think the probability of success is high.”

To bolster reconnaissance capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign intelligence sources, South Korea's military earmarked 1.2 trillion won ($910 million) for the “425 project,” under which four synthetic aperture radar satellites and one featuring an electro-optical infrared telescope will be launched into low Earth orbit.

State agencies and private companies, including the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, the Agency for Defense Development and Hanwha Systems, have participated in the project in cooperation with scientists overseas.

Once those satellites go into operation, they are expected to significantly improve the three-axis deterrence system, which heavily relies on the detection capabilities. It consists of three steps: a Kill Chain to preemptively strike the source of an attack, shooting down North Korean missiles in-flight (KAMD) and employing the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) campaign to eliminate the North's command-and-control.

The revelation comes at a time when North Korea is preparing to launch its own spy satellite after two botched attempts to do so this year.

Asked about the timing, Shin said North Korea is unlikely to launch it in the next two weeks, saying it may be possible at the end of this month.

He also said North Korea is probably receiving support from Russia's military and scientists, adding that possibility may have been the reason why the regime did not try for a third launch before the end of October ― a timeline it set up after its launch failure in August.

“North Korea could have tried again on its own … but the launch may have been delayed as Russia provided specific technical guidance (for the satellite). We believe the latter scenario is more likely,” he said.

A reconnaissance satellite is among the high-tech weapons North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to develop, along with a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile and a nuclear-powered submarine.