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North Korea has notified the Japanese government of its plans to launch a satellite between August 24 and August 31, according to Japanese media. The launch is scheduled to take place while South Korea and the US conduct joint military drills, which have sparked tensions in Pyongyang. The Japanese Coast Guard has been informed of three potential danger zones related to the launch. These include two areas west of the Korean Peninsula and one east of the Philippines’ island of Luzon.

This upcoming launch suggests that North Korea intends to follow a similar flight path as during its failed attempt to put a satellite into orbit on May 31. During that launch, the Chollima-1 rocket experienced ignition problems with its second stage, resulting in a failed mission and debris landing in the Yellow Sea.

North Korea has long been critical of joint military exercises between the US and South Korea. The country’s state media condemned the current drills, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield. Pyongyang views these exercises as a precursor to an invasion aimed at eliminating its leaders. In addition, North Korea criticized a recent meeting between Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing them of planning nuclear war provocations on the Korean Peninsula.

The meeting between the three leaders aimed to counter North Korean threats by sharing real-time information on missile launches and enhancing joint military training. Recent training exercises have focused on missile interception and submarine detection.

Although North Korea is prohibited by United Nations Security Council resolutions from conducting ballistic missile tests, it argues that it has the right to a civilian space program for satellite launches. However, the US and its allies are concerned that North Korean space technology could advance its ballistic missile capabilities.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has expressed his desire to deploy a spy satellite to monitor US forces in the region. While South Korea believes that such a satellite would have limited military value, it could still assist North Korea in refining its targeting capabilities for its new nuclear-capable missiles targeting South Korea and Japan.

In recent years, North Korea’s space program has taken a backseat as the country has advanced its intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities, capable of carrying nuclear warheads that could potentially reach the US.

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