News

North Korea has informed Japan of its plans to launch a satellite in the coming days, potentially making a second attempt at putting a military spy satellite into orbit. This comes three months after their first effort failed. The initial launch in May saw a North Korean rocket carrying a spy satellite crash into the sea shortly after liftoff, a setback for Kim Jong Un’s ambition to establish a space-based surveillance system for monitoring the U.S. and South Korea.

The North Korean authorities have notified Japan’s coast guard of a new launch window from August 24 to the end of August 30. While the notice did not specify the type of satellite being launched, it is believed to be similar to the spy satellite from the previous attempt. The launch is expected to affect three maritime zones: off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast, in the East China Sea, and east of the Philippine island of Luzon.

In response to the notice, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed officials to gather and analyze information and prepare for any emergencies. He has also called for cooperation with the U.S., South Korea, and other concerned countries to demand that North Korea cancels the launch.

This planned launch coincides with the annual U.S.-South Korean military drills, which North Korea perceives as a rehearsal for invasion and often responds with provocative missile tests. The leaders of the U.S., South Korea, and Japan recently met and agreed to increase defense cooperation in response to North Korea’s nuclear and military threats.

North Korea’s state media warned that the drills deepen the danger of a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula. The country claims that the prevailing situation compels it to take “offensive, overwhelming” steps, but did not provide further details.

Since the start of 2022, North Korea has conducted over 100 weapons tests, including nuclear-capable missiles that can strike the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. Pyongyang justifies these tests as responses to the expansion of U.S.-South Korean military training, though Washington and Seoul maintain that their drills are defensive in nature.

South Korea’s spy agency recently revealed that North Korea is preparing for test flights of intercontinental ballistic missiles and shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles, as well as another spy satellite launch. An analysis of debris retrieved from the first attempt indicated that the satellite was not advanced enough to conduct reconnaissance from space, contrary to North Korea’s claims.

The post North Korea Plans to Launch Satellite, Possibly a Second Attempt at Spy Satellite appeared first on satProviders.