"Cannot Accept IMO Condemnation Resolution"... North Korea Building Justification for 'Surprise Launch'

North Korea "Unfair and Illegal Anti-Republic Resolution"
Third Rebuttal in Five Days to International Organizations' North Korea Response
"Intention to Build Justification... Must Prepare for Surprise Launch"

On the 8th, North Korea asserted that it could never accept the resolution adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) condemning the missile launch targeting its space launch vehicle. After indicating its stance of 'no prior notification in the future' in response to actions by international organizations including the United Nations Security Council, North Korea repeatedly protested, leading analysts to suggest that it is building justification for a 'surprise launch' in case it surpasses the existing notification deadline of midnight on the 11th.

A spokesperson for North Korea's State Maritime Supervision Bureau stated in a statement released through the Korean Central News Agency on the 8th, "The State Maritime Supervision Bureau of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea condemns and rejects the unfair and illegal anti-Republic resolution of the International Maritime Organization," adding, "We reiterate our official position that we absolutely do not recognize the resolution condemning North Korea and demand that the organization reflect our legitimate position in its official documents."

On the 1st, the Korean Central News Agency released footage of the launch of the satellite carrier rocket "Chollima-1," which carried North Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite "Manlilkyong-1," fired from the West Sea Satellite Launching Station in Dongchang-ri, Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, on the 31st of last month.

The IMO is a specialized agency under the United Nations responsible for international regulations related to shipping and shipbuilding. On the 31st of last month, immediately after North Korea launched what it claimed to be a reconnaissance satellite, the IMO adopted a 'resolution condemning missile launches' for the first time in history.

North Korea described this response as an "unfair and biased stance" and stated, "We will once again clearly reveal the truth." North Korea's claim is as follows: On the 30th of last month, the State Maritime Supervision Bureau sent prior notification regarding the satellite launch, but the IMO stated that "there is no obligation to notify the IMO in advance since warnings are directly distributed worldwide through the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS) when a satellite is launched." The spokesperson claimed, "After sending warning data to the Japan Coast Guard, although it was not obligatory, we voluntarily notified the organization (IMO) as well. Nevertheless, the organization adopted a resolution with an absurd and inconsistent content demanding strict compliance with prior notification regulations on the day we launched the satellite."

However, the IMO's condemnation resolution differs from North Korea's claim. According to the IMO General Assembly resolution, the WWNWS, which operates under the IMO, requires notification to the coordinating country of the relevant area five days in advance in cases of missile launches, satellite launches, and maritime exercises. For North Korea's launch vehicle, the coordinating country is Japan, but North Korea only notified the launch plan on the 29th of last month, two days before the launch, violating the 'five days in advance' rule.

Kim Yo-jong, deputy director of the Workers' Party, expressed strong displeasure on the 4th at the successive responses from international organizations such as the IMO and the UN Security Council. Additionally, through an article under the name of international affairs commentator Kim Myung-chul, she suggested a policy of not providing prior notification in the event of a scheduled 'relaunch of the reconnaissance satellite,' stating, "It will be regarded as a declaration that our prior notification is unnecessary." This was the third protest within five days, including the announcement by the State Maritime Supervision Bureau on the same day.

North Korea refuses prior notification... "Building justification for surprise launch"

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea

North Korea's previously announced satellite launch notification period lasts until midnight on the 11th. An intelligence official said, "Since this is a project to which Kim Jong-un has devoted considerable effort, the possibility of a relaunch is high. Although it would take weeks to months to identify and fix defects, if North Korea pushes for a relaunch within the notification period, the 'D-day' is expected to be between the 10th and midnight on the 11th, making full use of the available time."

However, some observers suggest that North Korea's repeated accumulation of justification for not providing prior notification while criticizing international organizations may be a 'calculated move' in case it surpasses the notification period. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the weather forecast for Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, where the West Sea Satellite Launching Station is located, predicts mostly cloudy or rainy conditions until the 11th, making it difficult to launch the vehicle.

Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, evaluated, "According to the relevant regulations, it is correct that notification only needs to be given to Japan, the coordinating country of the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service area, not the IMO. However, it appears that North Korea initially notified the IMO as a show to build justification and protest." He added, "The real problem arises if North Korea conducts a surprise launch without notifying even the coordinating country (Japan). Since it is unknown where the launch vehicle might fly, all possibilities must be considered, and preparations made for the worst-case scenario. However, as North Korea itself revealed, since defects were found in both the core engine and fuel, a relaunch in the near future is unlikely."