North Korea Notifies Japan of Plan to Launch Satellite
8:13 JST, May 29, 2023
SEOUL/TOKYO, May 29 (Reuters) – North Korea has notified Japan of a plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11, a Japanese coast guard official said on Monday.
Analysts say the military satellite is part of nuclear-armed North Korea’s efforts to advance surveillance technology, including drones, to improve its ability to strike targets in the event of a conflict.
North Korea has also undertaken a series of missile and weapons tests in recent months, including a new, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
North Korea informed the Japanese coast guard of the planned launch, the coast guard official told Reuters.
The Japanese prime minister’s office urged North Korea to refrain from the launch and said it would work closely with allies.
“We strongly urge North Korea to refrain from launching,” the prime minister’s office said on Twitter, adding it would cooperate “with relevant countries such as the U.S. and South Korea.”
The Japanese government would do all it could to collect and analyze information from the launch, it said.
North Korea had said it had completed work on its first spy satellite. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in May inspected a military satellite facility, North Korean state media KCNA reported.
The KCNA report said Kim had approved next steps of the non-permanent satellite-launching preparatory committee.
North Korean media previously criticized plans by South Korea, the United States and Japan to share real-time data on Pyongyang’s missile launches, describing the three as discussing “sinister measures” for tightening military cooperation.
"News Services" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
EU Ratchets up Pressure on TikTok’s New Rewards App over Risks to Kids, Warns of Suspension
-
Japan’s Nikkei Ends 1% Higher after Sharp Fall; Chip-Related Shares Weigh (Update 1)
-
Japan’s Yen Hits 155 Per Dollar, Weakest Since 1990
-
Japan’s Nikkei Stumbles as Yen Gains, Mixed US Peers (Update 1)
-
Strong Solar Storm Hits Earth, Could Disrupt Communications and Produce Northern Lights in US
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Weakening Yen Adds Complexity to BOJ’s Rate Hike Decisions; Rising Commodity Prices may Impact ‘Virtuous Cycle’ Efforts
- 70% of Japan Companies to Raise Pay Scales in FY 2024
- Japanese Seafood Exports to China Sink 57% in FY23; U.S. Becomes Largest Seafood Export Destination
- 48.6% of Global Patent Applications Related to All-Solid-State Batteries Came from Japanese Firms; Panasonic Tops List
- Core Consumer Prices Rise 2.8% in Fiscal 2023