SEOUL, Mar. 4 (Yonhap) – South Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite is scheduled to undergo operational tests this month, the defense ministry said Monday, after being launched into orbit late last year.

The satellite was launched from a U.S. military base in California last December as part of Seoul's project to acquire five military spy satellites by 2025 to boost its independent monitoring capabilities on North Korea.

"Currently, (the satellite) is undergoing initial operations, and video footage calibration and validation as normal," Jeon Ha-kyou, the defense ministry's spokesperson, told a regular briefing. "From the middle of this month, it is scheduled to undergo operational testing and evaluation."

The satellite, equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors, recently sent back "good-resolution" images of central Pyongyang, according to military sources.

The satellite is expected to enter its full mission phase as early as June, which will likely help reduce South Korea's heavy reliance on U.S. satellite imagery on North Korea.

The military's second reconnaissance satellite is scheduled to be launched in April from a U.S. military base in Florida.

The planned launch comes as Pyongyang is also making efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance capabilities. The North successfully launched its first military spy satellite last November and has vowed to launch three more spy satellites this year.

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