​​Anchor: South Korea successfully launched its domestically developed rocket, Nuri, early Thursday morning, placing more than a dozen satellites into orbit. After the event, authorities confirmed that the rocket had placed a midsize satellite and 12 microsatellites at an altitude of 600 kilometers. While Seoul remains a relative newcomer to the global launch market, the success marked an important step towards joining the ranks of major spacefaring nations.
Kim Bum-soo has more.

Report:

[Sound bite: Nuri space rocket launch (Nov. 27/Naro Space Center)]

The 200-ton Nuri soared through the dark sky, blasting flames over the launchpad on South Korea's southwestern coast. 

[Sound bite: Mission control announcement]
"Pairing separation confirmed."

Mission control, which had been waiting with bated breath, burst into applause. 

As the rocket entered its target orbit at an altitude of 600 kilometers, the next-generation midsize satellite and 12 cube satellites were successfully ejected.  

Announcing the successful liftoff, the deputy prime minister for science told reporters that the fourth Nuri launch will mark a turning point for South Korea's space program. 

[Sound bite: Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology Bae Kyung-hoon (Korean-English)]
"The successful launch of the fourth Nuri rocket once again proves that South Korea has its own space transport capabilities. This was also the first joint [space mission] in which the government, the private sector and state research institutes worked as a team. This was an important turning point in which the focus of the space ecosystem shifted to the private sector from the previous government-oriented approach."

South Korean manufacturer Hanwha Aerospace oversaw the entire assembly process for the fourth Nuri mission. 

South Korea is quickly moving from a newcomer in space exploration to one of a handful of nations independently capable of launching payloads exceeding one ton into orbit. In 2022, it became the world’s tenth nation to place a satellite into orbit with its own technology.

South Korea plans to launch a lunar orbiter in 2030 and an unmanned lander in 2032.

However, with an annual budget of one-point-one billion won, or approximately 750 million U.S. dollars, South Korea's space program still lags behind those of leading nations such as the United States, Japan and China.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.