Forces from South Korea and the United States responded to simulations of GPS jamming and other satellite attacks by North Korea during a tabletop exercise in May 2025.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) hosted U.S. Space Forces-Korea (SPACEFOR-KOR) for the discussion-based Polaris Lynx exercise, the Korea Times reported. The event drew about 40 participants, including military officials and space security experts. The JCS said it will hold regular exercises with the U.S. to enhance the two allies’ space capabilities and interoperability.
South Korea is seeking to bolster its space capabilities as North Korea ramps up efforts to orbit reconnaissance satellites, the Korea Times reported. South Korea launched its fourth military spy satellite into orbit in April while North Korea has failed in five attempts during the past two years. North Korea orbited its one reconnaissance satellite in 2023.
Polaris Lynx scenarios included threats to South Korean satellites through close-up space maneuvers, the military news site Stars & Stripes reported. It also incorporated recent global events and the strategic and diplomatic implications of defensive space operations. “Polaris Lynx was a fantastic success story … focusing primarily on the improvement of command and control within the space domain,” Air Force Maj. Rachel Buitrago with SPACEFOR-KOR told Stars & Stripes.
Polaris Lynx came on the heels of an earlier Polaris exercise conducted by SPACEFOR-KOR with South Korean and U.S. military units. The January 2025 exercise at Osan Air Base in South Korea tested command and control involving space warfighters.