North Korea notified Japan’s coast guard on Monday of its plans to launch a “satellite-carrying rocket” in the coming days. Tokyo and Seoul were quick to denounce Pyongyang’s preparations, and called for the country to refrain from activities which are banned under multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
On Friday, a representative of the South Korean military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that Seoul had detected preparations for the launch of a reconnaissance satellite in the northwest of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Pyongyang’s notification on Monday designated three maritime danger zones where rocket debris could fall - two west of the Korean Peninsula and the other to the east of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, according to the Japan Coast Guard. The launch is expected to take place by next Tuesday.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida strongly condemned North Korea’s preparations, urging it to call off the launch.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol argued that “any launch [by North Korea] using ballistic missile technology would directly violate UN Security Council resolutions and undermine the peace and security of the region and world.” The official also called on the international community to “sternly deal with” Pyongyang over its recent activities.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry also denounced the upcoming launch as a “provocation.”
Last November, North Korea sent its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit, with the country’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un vowing to launch three more during the course of 2024. According to the DPRK, the space-based surveillance network is needed to monitor hostile activities in the region emanating from the US and its allies.
While the UN explicitly prohibits North Korea from conducting satellite launches, Pyongyang insists that it has the right to carry out such activities in order to provide for its national defense.
In a testimony to the US House Armed Services Committee late last month, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin sounded the alarm over North Korea’s increasing strategic cooperation with Russia. The official claimed the partnership had further emboldened Kim Jong-un.
Bilateral relations between Moscow and Pyongyang saw a boost following the start of the Ukraine conflict; the North Korean leader met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last September.
The West has alleged that Moscow may have provided Pyongyang with sophisticated military technology in exchange for shipments of artillery shells and missiles – a claim which has been strongly denied by both Russia and North Korea.