After Japan received a notification from North Korea about the latter's intention to plan a satellite launch in the coming days, the Japanese Coast Guard issued a safety warning to ships passing through the region at the time of the launch and coordinated and distributed information on maritime security in East Asia, Japanese Defense Minister yasukazu Hamada also said that he ordered the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to shoot down the satellite or debris, if any enters Japanese territory.

 Edited by |Alexander Yaxina

Asia  section -  CJ journalist

Tokyo – May,29,2023

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said he ordered Japan's Self-Defense Force to shoot down the satellite or debris, if any enters Japanese territory.

Japan's Coast Guard said the notice it received from North Korean waterways authorities said the launch window was from May 31 to June 11 and that the launch could affect the waters of the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the eastern Philippine island of Luzon.

To launch a satellite into space, North Korea would have to use long-range missile technology banned by UN Security Council resolutions. Its previous launches of Earth observation satellites were seen as covert missile tests.

Japan's chief of Staff Hirokazu Matsuno said the launch violates UN resolutions and is a “threat to the peace and security of Japan, the region and the international community."

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed officials to make every effort to collect and analyze information related to the launch and inform the public about it, his office said.

Matsuno said it was possible the satellite could enter or pass over Japan's southwestern islands, including Okinawa, where the U.S. has major military bases and thousands of troops.

South Korea warned Monday that North Korea will face consequences if it goes ahead with its launch plan in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning the North from conducting any launches using ballistic technology.

China, North Korea's main ally, renewed its call for a political solution to the tensions.

“There is a reason why the situation on the Korean peninsula has developed to what it is today,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told a daily briefing on Monday. "We hope that all the parties involved will confront the crux of the matter, strive for a political settlement and address each other's legitimate concerns through meaningful dialogue in a balanced way.”

Earlier this month, North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un reviewed a completed military spy satellite at the country's aerospace center and approved an unspecified future action plan on its launch.

North Korea's previous launches have demonstrated its ability to send a satellite into space, but there are doubts about the satellite's capability. Analysts say the device shown in state media appeared too small and crudely designed to allow high-resolution images.

 {source}<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4474625449481215"

crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

<!-- moss test ad -->

<ins class="adsbygoogle"

style="display:block"

data-ad-client="ca-pub-4474625449481215"

data-ad-slot="6499882985"

data-ad-format="auto"

data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>

<script>

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

</script>{/source}