North Korea warns of second satellite launch attempt

North Korea declared Tuesday its intention to relaunch military reconnaissance satellites, delivering a stern warning against the trilateral summit involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan, held at Camp David. This announcement comes three months after North Korea’s unsuccessful attempt on May 31, which marked its initial endeavor of a satellite launch. With the leaders of the three countries have concurred on the real-time exchange of information concerning North Korean nuclear and missile threats, North Korea’s recent announcement presents a challenge for the trilateral cooperative mechanism for the first time.

Sources such as NHK have reported that North Korea notified its satellite launch plans to the Japan Coast Guard between Aug. 24 and 31. The flight path includes the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Japan is a regional coordinator for the International Maritime Organization and must publicize such notifications. The regions highlighted by North Korea are the same as the ones during the first launch. Observers have speculated that the deployed launch vehicle will likely be utilized in its initial launch, it will take place in North Pyongan Province. South Korea’s unification ministry promptly condemned North Korea’s satellite launch as a brazenly unlawful action, directly violating the UNSC Security Resolution.

Meanwhile, North Korea’s state-run media has vehemently criticized the joint military exercises conducted by South Korea and the United States, labeling them as a provocative stance geared towards instigating nuclear warfare, which, according to North Korean sources, is the crystallization in the outcomes of the trilateral summit. North Korea has clearly asserted that this satellite launch is aimed at countering the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drills, which started on Monday. North Korea further warned of the potential nuclear conflict on the Korean Peninsula if “the agreements conspired at Camp David are translated into concrete actions.” This marks the first time that North Korea officially addressed the trilateral summit at Camp David.


Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com