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North Korea has informed Japan that it will be launching a satellite between August 24-31, marking its second attempt this year. Japan and South Korea have expressed strong disapproval of these actions, labeling them as “extremely regrettable”. The satellite launch is said to fly over the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the Pacific, areas outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

This announcement follows the recent standalone summit held by the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea, where they aimed to project unity against China’s growing power and North Korea’s nuclear threats.

North Korea’s previous satellite launch on May 31 ended in failure, with the Chollima-1 launcher plunging into the sea due to instability in the engine and fuel system. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called on North Korea to cease any planned launches and has stated that Japan is preparing its PAC-3 missile defense system and collecting information.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry has also urged North Korea to drop its plans for the satellite launch, characterizing it as a clear violation of UN sanctions banning the use of ballistic missile technology.

The previous satellite launch in May was North Korea’s sixth attempt and its first since 2016. The goal was to launch a spy satellite to monitor U.S. military activities. While the launch prompted emergency alerts in South Korea and Japan, no danger or damage was reported. The South Korean military retrieved the wreckage of the satellite and concluded that it had no significant military use.

Lawmakers in South Korea have been briefed by the country’s intelligence agency, warning of an upcoming spy satellite launch by North Korea in the weeks ahead, possibly to coincide with its founding anniversary on September 9. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly prioritized technical improvements to the satellite in the second half of this year.

Experts believe that the upcoming launch serves multiple purposes for North Korea, including commemorating the anniversary, demonstrating force after the trilateral summit, and responding to ongoing military drills between South Korea and the United States.

Please note that this report is auto-generated from the Reuters news service.

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