The South Korean military said North Korea's recently fired military reconnaissance satellite appears to be in orbit.

Defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said during a Monday briefing that the military is conducting a comprehensive analysis of the satellite, including its flight path, adding that the orbiter poses a serious threat to national security as a means of dropping nuclear weapons by intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM).

Jeon noted, however, that Seoul’s analysis of debris from Pyongyang's first failed attempt in May showed the satellite to be primitive, and the potential advancement in related technologies is limited given the time frame between launches.

Speaking to reporters, another military official cast doubt over the North's claim that the Malligyong-1 satellite had taken photos of the entire Korean Peninsula, Hawaii and Guam, saying it usually takes several months after a satellite launch for such photos to be taken.

The official also downplayed the likelihood that Pyongyang received support from Russia in advancing its satellites due to compatibility issues affecting both the launch vehicle and the control center software.

[Photo : YONHAP News]