S. Korea launches homegrown rocket

SEOUL: South Korea successfully launched its first homegrown space rocket, officials said, a triumph that boosted the country’s growing space ambitions but also proved it has key technologies to build a space-based surveillance system and bigger missiles amid animosities with rival North Korea.

The three-stage Nuri rocket succeeded in releasing and placing its functioning “performance verification” satellite at an altitude of 700km after its liftoff from South Korea’s space launch centre at 4pm yesterday, the Science Ministry said.