[4] The satellite carries a Multispectral Camera (MSC) which can distinguish to a 100-cm resolution, allowing the identification of individual vehicles on the ground.

South Korea started the KOMPSAT programme in 1995 to nurture its national Earth-imaging industry and supply services for remote-sensing applications.

KOMPSAT-2 is designed for very-high-resolution (VHR) remote-sensing applications, such as: It serves along with the existing Kompsat-2 to provide continuous satellite observation of the Korean Peninsula, sending images twice a day at 1:30 and 13:30.

It was decided not to extend the KOMPSAT-2 mission any further for systematic observation services, but instead use it for research purposes until the end of its life cycle.

KOMPSAT-2 has successfully carried out its mission of obtaining images of the Korean Peninsula and other major areas of the world over a period of nine years.