In a few minutes the rocket, which is trying to put a payload of more than one ton into orbit, reached an altitude of 600 kilometers, the first range target.
The country is the 12th largest economy in the world and has notable technological advances, being the headquarters of Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest manufacturer of smartphones and chips.
However, it has not entered the field of space flight, started in 1957 by the then Soviet Union and followed shortly after by the United States.
In Asia, the countries with advanced space programs are China, Japan and India, while North Korea was the last to enter the club of nations capable of launching its own satellites.
Ballistic missiles and space rockets use similar technologies, and Pyongyang put a 300kg satellite into orbit in 2012, which Western countries condemned as a missile test in disguise.
Currently only six countries, not including North Korea, have managed to launch one-ton charges with their own rockets.
The three-stage rocket, in this case, has been developed over a decade at a cost of 2 trillion won ($ 1.6 billion). It weighs 200 tons, is 47.2 meters long and has six liquid fuel engines.
The first two attempts failed in 2009 and 2010, partly using Russian technology. Although it finally succeeded with a launch in 2013, it relied on a Russian-developed engine in its early stage.
Although more and more private companies are involved in satellite launches, one expert said Nuri’s success offers South Korea enormous potential.
“Rockets are the only possible way for humanity to reach space,” Lee Sang-ryul, director of the Korean Aerospace Research Institute, told the Chosun Biz newspaper.
“Having that technology means that we will have met the basic requirement to join this space exploration race.”added.
Thursday’s launch is a further step in South Korea’s ambitious space program. President Moon Jae-in said he will seek to launch a probe into lunar orbit next year.
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