North Korea wants to launch a satellite, Japan tries to “cancel” the project

2023-08-22 09:34:14

Pyongyang intends to launch a satellite in the coming days, and has informed Japan of its intention. A prospect that worries the Japanese government. “I asked the (Japanese) ministers to provide information to the public, cooperate with the countries concerned and call on North Korea to cancel this launch and take all possible measures to prepare for any unforeseen eventualities” , Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.

Japan’s prime minister’s office, which said on Tuesday it had been briefed by Pyongyang on the plan, instructed the government to gather information and work with the United States, South Korea and other countries to urge Pyongyang to cancel launch. In a separate statement, the Japan Coast Guard issued an alert for a “satellite rocket launch” between August 24 and August 31 for three danger areas, in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and Eastern Waters. east of the island of Luzon in the Philippines.

Pyongyang fears joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea

A previous attempt, three months ago, ended in failure. On May 31, a rocket presented by Pyongyang as being the launcher of a military observation satellite crashed into the Yellow Sea shortly after takeoff, North Korean authorities citing a technical problem. Pyongyang had explained that it wanted to “face the dangerous military actions of the United States and its vassals”.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made the development of a military spy satellite a priority. Washington and Seoul suspect for their part Pyongyang of developing a new intercontinental ballistic missile, which includes technologies similar to that of a satellite launcher.

The announcement of the launch coincides with Ulchi Freedom Shield, the name given to the large-scale US-South Korean maneuvers which began on Monday and are due to run until August 31. According to the three allies, these exercises aim to respond to the growing threats from North Korea, which has nuclear weapons. Pyongyang considers these military exercises to be “aggressive in nature”.