North Korea informs Japan of satellite launch plan between November 22 and December 1
(Baonghean.vn) - The Japanese Coast Guard said on November 21 that North Korea had informed Japan of its plan to launch a rocket carrying a space satellite between November 22 and December 1 toward the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.
If carried out, the plan would mark the nuclear-armed nation's third attempt this year to put a spy satellite into orbit, Reuters noted.
The announcement immediately drew condemnation from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who said Japan's defense systems, including Aegis destroyers and PAC-3 air defense missiles, were ready in case of any "unforeseen situation."
“Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, the use of ballistic missile technology is a violation of a series of UN Security Council resolutions. This is also a matter of great national security,” Kishida told reporters.
Mr. Kishida said Japan would work with the United States, South Korea and other countries to "strongly urge" North Korea not to proceed with the launch.
The announcement from Pyongyang comes as North Korea has attempted to launch what it calls a spy satellite twice this year, but both failed. In recent days, South Korean officials have said it appears North Korea will soon try again.
North Korea informed Japan, as the International Maritime Organization's coordinating body for those waters, of its plans on all three occasions.
According to Reuters, this will be the first launch since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare foreign trip in September and visited Russia's most modern aerospace center, where President Vladimir Putin promised to help Pyongyang build satellites.
North Korea's announcement also came after the country on November 20 criticized the US's potential sale of hundreds of missiles to Japan and South Korea, calling it a dangerous move that would increase tensions in the region and spark a new arms race.
In a statement carried by the North's state news agency KCNA, the country's Defense Ministry said Pyongyang will step up measures to establish deterrence and respond to regional instability that it says is caused by the US and its allies.
South Korea's Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment before business hours. North Korea has not made an official announcement of the plan in mainstream media.
Pyongyang is seeking to put a military spy satellite into orbit and says it plans to deploy a fleet of satellites to monitor US and South Korean military activities.
North Korea has repeatedly attempted to launch what it calls “observation” satellites, including two that appear to have successfully reached orbit, including one in 2016. However, South Korean officials are skeptical about whether they transmitted any signals.
North Korea regards its military rocket and space programs as a sovereign right, and analysts say spy satellites are crucial to improving the effectiveness of its weapons.
The launch, if carried out, would likely come just ahead of South Korea's first US-assisted launch of a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from the US military's Vandenberg Air Force Base on November 30.
