SOUL: North Korea on Monday notified neighboring Japan that it plans to launch a satellite in the coming days, which may be an attempt to put Pyongyang’s first army spy satellite into orbit.
According to AL Jazeera, Japan’s coast guard said that the notice said the launch window was from May 31 and June 11 and that it could affect waters in the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, and east of the Philippines’ Luzon Island.
North Korea has undertaken a series of missile and arms tests recently, including the latest solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The Japanese prime minister’s office said North Korea would refrain from the launch and would work closely with partners.
Japan Urges North Korea to Refrain from Launching
“We urge North Korea to refrain from launching,” the prime minister’s office said, adding it would cooperate “with relevant countries, such as the United States and South Korea.”
To launch a satellite into space, North Korea must use long-range missile technology banned under UN Security Council resolutions. Its past launches of Earth observation satellites have been seen as disguised missile tests.
Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan Hirokazu Matsuno said the launch would violate UN resolutions and was a “threat to the safety and peace of Japan, the region, and the world community.”
