The decision was made in an emergency Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Seoul.

Earlier the National Security Council announced it would take steps to partially suspend the military agreement and would resume aerial reconnaissance and surveillance operations near the inter-Korean border area.

Pyongyang media confirmed that on Tuesday night, North Korea successfully placed its first spy satellite into orbit.

The Comprehensive Military Agreement signed by the two Koreas in 2018 called for a halt to all hostile military activities between the two sides, established maritime buffer zones, and designated the demilitarized zone as a region of peace.