North Korea informed Japan that it planned to launch a satellite between November 22 and December 1. Tokyo and Seoul both said it could be the third attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit in defiance of the UN prohibition.
The launch would be the first since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a Russian cosmodrome in September, where Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to help Pyongyang build satellites.
Japan’s Coast Guard reported on Tuesday that North Korea had notified the launch in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. South Korea’s state maritime safety agency warned ships of a planned launch in the same areas as previous launches.
Earlier this year, North Korea twice tried to launch so-called spy satellites but failed. South Korean officials claimed a repeat attempt, which prompted immediate condemnation from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who said his country’s defence systems, including Aegis destroyers and PAC-3 air defence missiles, were ready for any “unexpected situation.”
Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, using ballistic missile technology is a violation of a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions. It is also a matter that greatly affects national security.
Japan will work with the United States, South Korea and other countries to “strongly persuade” North Korea not to proceed with the launch, Kishida stated. North Korea had earlier notified Japan, as the coordinating body of the International Maritime Organisation in those waters, of its plans to launch satellites.
Pyongyang considers its space and military missile programmes a sovereign right and has said it plans to build a fleet of satellites to monitor US and South Korean forces. It has made several attempts to launch so-called “observation” satellites, two of which appear to have successfully reached orbit.
South Korea’s military issued a warning Monday demanding North Korea abandon any plan to launch a satellite, calling it an act of provocation that threatens South Korea’s security.
South Korea separately plans to launch its first reconnaissance satellite from California on November 30 with US help.
