Japan: "North Korea Notifies Satellite Launch from 31st to Next Month 11th"

The Japanese government has received a notification from North Korean authorities that they plan to launch a satellite between 0:00 on the 31st of this month and 0:00 on the 11th of next month.

According to Kyodo News on the 29th, North Korea informed the Japan Coast Guard of its plan to establish a danger zone at sea during the satellite launch period.

North Korea also notified the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of this plan, local public broadcaster NHK reported. NHK stated, "The areas expected to have falling debris are two locations in the West Sea and one location east of the Philippines, totaling three areas, all outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)." It added, "The Coast Guard issued navigation warnings for these areas and urged passing vessels to exercise caution."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

If North Korea launches the ballistic missile it calls a 'satellite,' it would be the first time in about seven years since February 2016. At that time, North Korea notified international organizations of its plan to launch the satellite 'Kwangmyongsong' between February 8 and 25, 2016, later revising the schedule to February 7 to 14, and launched it on the 7th.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said regarding North Korea's satellite launch plan, "We will thoroughly collect and analyze information and demand strong restraint from North Korea in cooperation with South Korea, the United States, and others." He also instructed relevant agencies to provide appropriate information to the public and secure a state of readiness to prepare for unforeseen situations.

North Korea announced in April that its 'Military Reconnaissance Satellite No. 1' was completed, and on the 16th, Chairman Kim Jong-un personally supervised the 'Emergency Satellite Launch Preparation Committee' and approved the committee's 'future action plan.' This has led to speculation that North Korea will soon mount the prepared satellite onto a launch vehicle and proceed with the launch.

The Japanese government has continuously protested that North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite launch, if utilizing ballistic missile technology, would violate United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea. The Ministry of Defense has also deployed Patriot surface-to-air guided missiles (PAC-3) on the Okinawa Prefecture islands of Miyakojima, Ishigakijima, and Yonagunijima in preparation for North Korea's satellite launch.