North Korea Signals Fresh Attempt at Military Spy Satellite Launch in Near Future

Three months after its initial attempt failed to launch a military spy satellite into orbit, North Korea reportedly informed Japan on Tuesday that it wants to launch a satellite in the upcoming days, according to Japanese officials.

Kim Jong Un’s efforts to develop a space-based surveillance system to better monitor the U.S. and South Korea suffered a blow in late May when a North Korean rocket carrying a spy satellite crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff.

After analyzing what went wrong with the first launch, North Korea has pledged to try again.

The North Korean government informed the Japanese coast guard that a satellite launch was scheduled to take place between August 24 and August 30.

Although the notice didn’t specify what kind of satellite North Korea plans to launch, Coast Guard spokesperson Hiromune Kikuchi said he thinks it may be referring to a satellite similar to the spy satellite that was launched in May.

According to his office, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gave officials strict instructions to do everything possible to obtain and examine any information on the launch and to be ready for any emergency.

In order to pressure North Korea to cancel the launch, he also appealed for cooperation with the United States, South Korea, and other concerned nations.

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International Alarms Ring as North Korea Sets Stage for Controversial Satellite Launch

The proposed North Korean satellite launch, which would go beyond U.N. Security Council resolutions forbidding the nation from engaging in any launch involving ballistic operations, was referred to by South Korea’s Unification Ministry as “an illegal provocation.”

According to a ministry statement, South Korea would respond to the North’s launch firmly in close coordination with the United States and Japan.

The launch plan coincides with ongoing yearly military exercises between the United States and South Korea. North Korea expects to continue its provocative cycle of missile launches in response to the routine military drills between the United States and South Korea, which it perceives as a practice for an invasion.

North Korea has conducted more than 100 weapons tests since the beginning of 2022, some of which involved nuclear-capable missiles intended to attack the U.S. mainland, South Korea, and Japan.

As a reaction to the growth of military drills between the United States and South Korea, North Korea claims it had no choice but to increase nuclear testing activities. According to Washington and Seoul, their training is defensive in character.

The spy agency of South Korea reported last week that North Korea was preparing for a spy satellite launch as well as test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles.

North Korea’s initial effort to launch a spy satellite into space ended in the recovery of debris by South Korea. The military of South Korea stated in July that their analysis of the debris revealed the satellite wasn’t as sophisticated as North Korea claimed in order to undertake space surveillance.

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Source: ABC News