Did a North Korean satellite sought by dictator Kim Jong-un start spying on us a few hours ago? For the third time, the Pyongyang regime has frightened tens of thousands of Japanese residents who took off from the Sil-il base near the capital’s airport at 3 p.m. (Italian time) today and flew south toward southern China and then over the Japanese island flew from Okinawa, whose residents took refuge in underground reinforced concrete structures in accordance with alarm procedures. Among them are survivors of the bitter battles that the island fought in World War II.
North Korea has not yet announced whether the launch was successful this time by putting a military spy satellite into orbit, but intelligence agencies from the United States, South Korea and Japan, as well as China and Russia, monitored the launch with their network satellite. It is not just the satellite that is a concern, assuming it has managed to get into orbit and function, but also the launch vehicle (the rocket), which could be reliable, have a long range and the capability could have to carry conventional warheads or, there are fears that the nuclear deterrent could threaten the United States itself. The launch was reported by Seoul’s armed forces, which said in a statement: “North Korea has reportedly launched a southern-bound military surveillance satellite.” More will be announced in the next few hours.
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Deadlines not met
Japan’s Kyodo Agency reported that the launch triggered the country’s alarm system, prompting residents of Okinawa County to seek shelter in emergency shelters. In recent hours, Tokyo announced that Pyongyang had signaled to Japan a nine-day time frame within which it would launch a rocket to transport satellites. The nine-day period was scheduled to begin at midnight on November 22, but the launch occurred without warning of North Korea’s announcement.
The UN ban
South Korea has warned that it will take “necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of the population” as it also prepares to launch its first fully domestically developed satellite: a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. A scenario that seems to describe a powerful performance by the two Koreas. But far stricter preventive measures apply at the international level towards Pyongyang – the capital of North Korea. In fact, the United Nations Security Council has classified North Korea’s satellite launches as forbidden. According to the United Nations, these launches may actually be one cover for ICBM testing.
Kim Jong-un’s possible targets
It’s not the first time North Korea has tried to put a spy satellite into orbit. The first attempt – unsuccessful – took place on May 31, when the Chollima-1 rocket crashed into the Yellow Sea. A second outage dates back to August 24th. The South Korean military and intelligence authorities that recovered the satellite’s wreckage defined it as “rudimentary” after his analysis.
But why is Pyongyang interested in launching spy satellites? The latter can have various civilian purposes, ranging from observing meteorological phenomena and crops to supporting and strengthening GPS. But there are also good military reasons for putting a satellite into orbit. First, from space it is possible to observe the military maneuvers of other powers, primarily South Korea and the United States. Joint exercises by the latter are not uncommon, with leader Kim Jong-un often fearing that they could be the prelude to attacks and encirclement maneuvers.
In addition, Kim and his intelligence circle have been interested in further developing their missile program for years. This ambition was confirmed by Putin during his meeting with the North Korean dictator in September. During a summit with Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin told the press: “That’s why we came here, the North Korean leader is very interested in missile technology.” One of the biggest fears of the US and South Korea is precisely that both may already have a very clear one have reached an agreement: supplies of North Korean ammunition – which Russia needs for its war with Ukraine – in exchange for this Space technology.
The condemnation of the United States
After the launch, White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said: “North Korea’s launch of a spacecraft with rocket technology, that is a blatant violation several Security Council resolutions.” Watson clarified that the gesture “increases tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond.”
“The President and his national security team are assessing the situation in close collaboration with our allies and partners,” the statement continued. “We call on all countries to condemn this launch and call on North Korea to come to the negotiating table for serious negotiations.” “The doors to diplomacy are not closed,” the spokeswoman added, “but Pyongyang must immediately stop its provocative actions and choose dialogue instead. “The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and our allies South Korea and Japan.”
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on Il Messaggero