North Korea Plans Second Satellite Launch, Prompting Criticism from Japan and South Korea
TOKYO/SEOUL – North Korea has informed Japan that it intends to launch a satellite between August 24-31, marking its second attempt this year. The announcement has drawn criticism from Japan and South Korea, with both countries expressing that such actions would be “extremely regrettable.”
According to reports, North Korea notified Japan’s Coast Guard that the launch would pass over the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the Pacific, areas outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The news comes just days after the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea held their first standalone summit to demonstrate unity against China’s increasing power and North Korea’s nuclear threats.
North Korea previously launched a satellite on May 31, which ultimately crashed into the sea. The failed launch was attributed to instability in the engine and fuel system of the Chollima-1 launcher, as reported by the state news agency KCNA.
In response to the latest announcement, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called on North Korea to halt any planned launches. Japan is preparing its PAC-3 missile defense system and gathering information in anticipation of the launch. Prime Minister Kishida stated, “A launch would be extremely regrettable.”
South Korea’s Unification Ministry, responsible for inter-Korean affairs, also urged North Korea to cancel the planned launch, labeling it a “clear illegal act” that violates U.N. sanctions prohibiting North Korea from using ballistic missile technology. The ministry issued a statement emphasizing that the launch cannot be justified, regardless of any excuse provided by North Korea.
The May satellite launch was North Korea’s sixth attempt and its first since 2016. The goal was to put its first spy satellite into orbit to monitor U.S. military activities. Although the launch triggered emergency alerts and evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan, no danger or damage was reported.
South Korea’s military examined the wreckage of the satellite and determined that it had no significant military utility. However, South Korean lawmakers, briefed by Seoul’s intelligence agency, warned of another spy satellite launch by North Korea in the coming weeks, possibly in commemoration of its founding anniversary on September 9.
Lawmakers stated that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has identified technical improvements to the satellite as a “top priority.” The intelligence agency has also reported signs of engine tests since July.
Professor Yang Moo-jin from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul stated, “The upcoming launch has several purposes – while the anniversary internally, they would seek a show of force over the trilateral summit and the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drills.”
The situation is being closely monitored by the international community. Experts are concerned about North Korea’s continued development of its satellite program and its potential implications for regional security.
Reporting by Elaine Lies in Tokyo and Hyonhee Shin in Seoul; Editing by Deepa Babington, Stephen Coates, and Gerry Doyle