North Korea notified neighboring Japan on Monday that it plans to launch a satellite in the coming days, in what may be an attempt to put Pyongyang’s first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.
Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said he has ordered the Japan Self-Defense Force to shoot down the satellite or the debris, if any enters Japanese territory.
The Japan Coast Guard said the notice it received from the North Korean waterways authorities said the launch window was from May 31 to June 11 and the launch could affect the waters of the Yellow Sea, East Sea China and the eastern Philippine island of Luzon.
The Japanese coast guard issued a safety warning for ships passing through the area at the time of the launch. Japan’s coast guard coordinates and distributes maritime security information in East Asia, which is probably why they received the tip from North Korea.
To launch a satellite into space, North Korea would have to use long-range missile technology prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions. Its previous launches of Earth observation satellites were seen as covert missile tests.
Japan’s chief of staff, Hirokazu Matsuno, said the launch violates UN resolutions and is a “threat to the peace and security of Japan, the region and the international community.”
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed officials to do everything possible to collect and analyze information related to the launch and inform the public about it, his office said.
Matsuno said it was possible for the satellite to enter or pass over islands in southwestern Japan, including Okinawa, where the United States has major military bases and thousands of troops.
South Korea warned on Monday that North Korea will face consequences if it goes ahead with its launch plan in violation of UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit the North from launching using ballistic technology.
China, North Korea’s main ally, renewed its call for a political solution to the tensions.
“There is a reason why the situation on the Korean peninsula has developed to what it is today,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a daily briefing on Monday. “We hope that all parties involved will face the crux of the matter, fight for a political settlement, and address each other’s legitimate concerns through meaningful dialogue in a balanced manner.”
Earlier this month, North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un reviewed a completed military spy satellite at the country’s aerospace center and approved an unspecified future plan of action on its launch.
Previous North Korean launches have demonstrated its ability to send a satellite into space, but there are questions about the satellite’s capability. Analysts say the device shown in state media appeared too small and crudely designed to allow for high-resolution images.
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Hyung-jin Kim reported from Seoul.