S.Korea warns of stern response in case of N.Korea satellite launch

The launch of North Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite has entered a “countdown”. North Korea notified the Japanese government on Monday that it would launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11.  

The South Korean government immediately held a National Security Council meeting on Monday and warned of its consequences. 

According to Japanese media outlets, North Korea informed the Japanese government and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of its plan to “set up a dangerous zone in the sea following the launch of a satellite.”  

If North Korea actually launches a military reconnaissance satellite, it will be the first satellite launch in seven years since the launch of Kwangmyongsong-4, which it claimed was an earth observation satellite on Feb. 7, 2016. According to an expert on North Korea, Kwangmyongsong-4 orbits in space, but it is said that it does not play a role as an actual satellite.

The launch of North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite was presented as one of the plans for the "5-year development of defense science and development of weapons systems" at the 8th Labor Party Congress in Jan. 2021.

At that time, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un emphasized that the military reconnaissance satellite should be operated in the near future to secure the ability to collect reconnaissance information.

North Korea announced that the first reconnaissance satellite was completed last month, and Kim Jong-un approved the committee's “future action plan” after on-site guidance on the project of the Satellite Launch Preparation Committee on May 16. 

“North Korea’s so-called satellite launch is a serious violation of the UN Security Council resolutions banning all launches using ballistic missile technology,” Lim Soo-sok, spokesperson of Seoul’s foreign ministry, in a statement on Monday.

"We will sternly respond to North Korea's provocations by cooperating with the international community based on close cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan," he added.

The Japanese government also reacted sensitively. "We are deploying surface-to-air guided missiles Patriot units and AEGIS ships in Okinawa Prefecture,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at his official residence. 

On the other hand, Chinese reaction was different. “We hope that all countries face the difficulties of the North Korean issue, adhere to the direction of political resolution, and resolve the concerns of each side in a balanced way,” Mao Ning, spokesperson of Beijing’s foreign ministry at a briefing.

Write to Dong-Hyun Kim at 3code@hankyung.com