South Korea has launched the first military communications satellite via SpaceX, AFP reported.

ANASIS-II is designed to enhance the South's ability to defend against North Korea. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral Station in Florida, the Seoul Defense Procurement Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement.

DAPA said the launch of the satellite made South Korea the 10th country in the world to own a military-only communications satellite that will provide permanent and secure military communications.

The satellite is expected to reach an orbit of 36,000 km in two weeks to improve the independent operational capabilities of the South Korean military, a defense ministry official told Yonhap.