North Korea has informed the Japanese Coast Guard of its intention to launch a satellite between Wednesday and December 1, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday.
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The launch, which contradicts Seoul’s warnings to Pyongyang, would be a new attempt to launch a military satellite like those that failed in May and August, according to Kyodo.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has asked his government to be ready for such a launch, Kyodo said, citing his services.
South Korea’s military warned North Korea on Monday to “immediately” halt its preparations to launch a spy satellite and warned Pyongyang that it would take “necessary measures” if necessary.
In early November, Seoul’s intelligence services said Pyongyang was in the final stages of preparations for its third attempt.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said on Sunday the launch could take place as early as this week.
“We strongly advise North Korea to immediately halt ongoing preparations to launch a military spy satellite,” Kang Hopil, director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Monday.
“If North Korea launches a military reconnaissance satellite despite our warning, our army will take the necessary measures to ensure the life and safety of the population,” he added.
After a second failed attempt in August, Pyongyang announced it would conduct the third launch in October, but that did not happen.
Seoul says Pyongyang is supplying weapons to Moscow in exchange for Russian space technology aimed at putting a military spy satellite into orbit.
Analysts believe there is a significant technological link between space launch capability and the development of ballistic missiles, the use of which is banned in Pyongyang due to several UN sanctions.
North Korea has conducted a record number of weapons tests this year, ignoring warnings from the United States, South Korea and their allies.
Last week it said it had successfully conducted ground tests of a “new type” of solid-fuel engines for its banned intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), calling it a crucial step in “the grave and unstable situation in terms of security”.