The South Korean optical satellite KOMPSAT-1 is not well known in spite of its high potential. With a ground sampling distance of 6.6 m for nadir images the resolution is sufficient for the generation of topographic maps up to the scale 1:50 000. Like SPOT and IRS-1C/D the view direction can be changed across the orbit direction leading to stereo models with images taken from neighboured orbits.,It has been shown that the given view direction was not accurate enough, requiring a full image orientation based on control points, but this was leading to satisfying results. By automatic image matching digital height models have been generated with an accuracy corresponding to a standard deviation of the x-parallax of approximately one pixel, that means the same quality as with other space images if the ground pixel size and the height to base relation will be taken into account. The object identification corresponds to the pixel size, so the mapping is limited to the information contents of a map 1 : 50 000.